The Board Meeting 2020 of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) opened at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.
Chancellors, presidents and other senior representatives from GAUC member universities gathered to review the highlights of the group’s work over the past year and discuss plans for 2020.
Tsinghua University President Qiu Yong shared a reply letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to the student representatives of GAUC members.
"In the letter, President Xi commended the students for their common concern on climate change and encouraged them to make active efforts in this field," Qiu said.
"He also noted that his goal is for China to build an ecological civilization as part of our international responsibility to tackle climate change, and at the same time to work with the rest of the world to protect the Earth, the common home of us all."？
Qiu, who is also Chair of the GAUC Board, went on to say that of the 12 member universities the University of Cambridge is the oldest with a history of more than 800 years and the 74-year-old Australian National University is the youngest. The other ten institutes are all at least a hundred years old.
"Among these 12 institutes, Tsinghua University is still a 'youngster', and we need to learn more from other universities," he added.
Qiu also invited the chancellors to visit Tsinghua in 2021, the 110th anniversary of its establishment, and to take part in the University Presidents’ Forum.
Tsinghua Vice President Yang Bin, as Chair of the GAUC Executive Committee, briefed the attendees on the highlights of GAUC work since its establishment in May 2019 and announced the major tasks of the alliance for 2020.
Lord Nicolas Stern, Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, presided over the meeting and stressed that coping with climate change will need more young students, which is a key role that the GAUC can play.
At the meeting, all members elaborated fully on the alliance’s future development.
