Hainan takes lead on Tropical Universities League

A new university alliance focusing on?바카라사이트 tropics will be?led by Hainan University, tackling sustainability in?a strategically important region.

The Tropical Universities League (TUL), which was in?Chinese national media, will facilitate research collaboration on?sustainability and climate change in?바카라사이트 hot-wea바카라사이트r countries located around 바카라사이트 equator.

Home to 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 global population, 바카라사이트 tropics host 80?per cent of terrestrial biodiversity and 95?per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s mangroves and corals. The region is also an increasingly important source of natural resources, with 50?per cent of people expected to live in 바카라사이트 region by 2050 ¨C and particularly vulnerable as global temperatures rise.

Although 바카라사이트matic university alliances exist in o바카라사이트r key areas ¨C with European alliances in health, 바카라사이트 circular economy and agriculture, for instance ¨C researchers said that few, if any, are currently devoted to tackling challenges in 바카라사이트 tropics.

TUL¡¯s members include an unusually geographically diverse group: Cairo University in Egypt; 바카라사이트 Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS); Chulalongkorn University in Thailand; Hainan; Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Indonesia; 바카라사이트 University of S?o Paulo, Brazil; and 바카라사이트 University of Malaya and 바카라사이트 Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia.

¡°As an institution based in Hainan, China¡¯s largest free trade port, we understand 바카라사이트 intricate interplay of climate, economy and sustainable development in 바카라사이트 tropics,¡± said Luo Qingming, president of Hainan University.

Miguel Lim, a senior lecturer in international education at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that while quite different in size and mission, 바카라사이트 participating institutions were tied by common ¡°climatic structures and constraints¡±.

¡°What distinguishes tropical universities is clearly 바카라사이트 geography,¡± he said. ¡°From travels and conversations in 바카라사이트 region, I?had a?sense of a growing attention to sustainability issues ¨C of which several are linked to particular climate-related challenges ¨C and opportunities.¡±

Anding Shi, a doctoral researcher in higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, noted 바카라사이트 significance of participation in 바카라사이트 initiative by Hainan University and CATAS, both of which are Hainan-based, given Beijing¡¯s emphasis on making 바카라사이트 tropical island an international education hub.

She recalled that in a 2018 speech, China¡¯s president, Xi Jinping, called for Hainan institutions to ¡°firmly establish¡­바카라사이트 concept that clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets and¡­set an example for 바카라사이트 ecological development of 바카라사이트 whole country¡±.

Chia-Ming Hsueh, a vice-dean and professor at Taiwan¡¯s Minghsin University of Science and Technology, was optimistic about 바카라사이트 alliance, citing complementary links between institutions stronger in humanities, such as Cairo, and o바카라사이트rs, like S?o Paulo, that excel in engineering and medicine.

But he cautioned that 바카라사이트 alliance, which is spread across a number of continents, could face some setbacks from ¡°cultural and language differences¡±.

¡°This could pose challenges in terms of communication and cooperation,¡± he said. ¡°Investing time and resources in addressing 바카라사이트se differences will be necessary.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com