Qiu Yong, president of Tsinghua University, addresses the meeting. 

NieFenghua, president of Tsinghua Holdings, at the meeting

Meeting attendees in talks

Tsinghua University in Beijing is keen to promote the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, which is one reason why it has set up the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals, Tsinghua University, Qiu Yong, President of Tsinghua University, said on Jan 21. 

It is said to be the first scientific research institute in the world with a core goal of sustainable development.

Qiu was talking as XuetangX, an online education platform of a subsidiary under Tsinghua Holdings, together with the University of Geneva and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) met to discuss education and sustainable development.

More than 200 people, including academics, business people and representatives of international organizations, attended the meeting at University of Geneva.

Tsinghua University set up XuetangX in 2013 to promote sustainable development education in conjunction with the UN. The university is also keen to strengthen collaboration with other academic institutions, international organizations and business with the aim of promoting sustainable development.

Last year XuetangX and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN) reached agreement on working together to improve education quality related to sustainable development as well as to promote educational equity in the field, and XuetangX will introduce courses from SDG Academy, the educational platform of SDSN.

During the meeting, Nie Fenghua, the president of Tsinghua Holdings, met thedirector of the UNITAR, NikhilSeth, and the two sides reached agreement on developing and publicizing courses about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a forerunner to the two signing a memorandum of understanding.

XuetangX’s activities to promote equity of education in China include organizing public welfare projects in conjunction with local governments to improve teaching quality and providing teaching resources in Yunnan province that reach 25,000 students, 1,800 teachers and educational department heads.