The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Saxon State Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts (SMWK), the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden) and the United Nations University (UNU) celebrated the signing of a partnership agreement – a Memorandum of Understanding and a Funding Agreement. The three German partners will support the UNU Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) in Dresden in cash and in kind for three years beginning in 2015. The second agreement signed is for the continuity of the institute’s operations.
Facing the current and expected future changes in global and regional climate, land use and demographic structure in and between urban and rural societies, the world’s environmental resources are under enormous pressure. Sustainable and nexus-oriented solutions are needed now more than ever.
“Fostering sustainable development is a core part of UNU’s general mission,” UNU Rector Dr. David M. Malone points out, “the partnership between BMBF, SMWK, TU Dresden and UNU will enable UNU-FLORES to conduct research and training activities on a global scale aimed at developing strategies to resolve pressing challenges in the area of the sustainable use and integrated management of environmental resources, contributing to the advancement of this mission.” UNU-FLORES strives in particular to address the needs of the populations in developing countries and emerging economies, collaborating directly with partners in Africa and Asia to develop region-specific innovative solutions.
Volker Rieke, Director for European and International Cooperation at BMBF, explains: “International cooperation in research and education is important for politics worldwide. Progress in the fields of climate protection, energy supply, disaster resilience, food security and management of resources are solved nowadays mainly through joint efforts of international scholars. UNU-FLORES stimulates the development of new institutes, for example for the management of rare resources such as water or soil in Africa, being often affected by climate change. Working with regional stakeholders and local governments, UNU-FLORES has initiated the development of a regional research hub on integrated resource management in Africa. Such effort is in line with the BMBF’s view on scientific capacity building. At the same time, with the support of UNU-FLORES in Dresden, the BMBF affirms Germany as international science hub.”
“The Free State of Saxony is characterized by the highest density of universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutes in Germany. The establishment of UNU-FLORES in Dresden, which took place in 2012, marks the unique and still unparalleled settling of an international research institute in the capital of Saxony. The financial funding of UNU-FLORES is partly provided by the Free State. It has been agreed upon its continuation. The decision for Dresden as the location of the institute was based on our research achievements and the various, excellent networking opportunities. Taking into consideration the scientific as well as the international impact of UNU-FLORES, we also clearly recognize the importance of the institute for the city of Dresden. Prospectively we are determined to work closely together with international partners and warmly welcome scientists and associates from all over the world,” said Dr. Eva-Maria Stange, Saxon State Minister of Higher Education, Research and the Arts.
Looking to the future, TU Dresden Rector, Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen says, “As one of the eleven universities of excellence in Germany, TU Dresden is committed to the internationalization and the enhancement of interdisciplinary research. The close relationship with UNU-FLORES has proven to be a rewarding opportunity to further this mission through collaborative endeavours in the fields of research, postgraduate education and capacity development. The joint PhD Programme on the integrated management of water, soil and waste is one the many promising activities emerging from this relationship. TU Dresden is pleased to see State, Federal and International actors recommit to UNU-FLORES, and looks forward to continuing working closely with UNU-FLORES to help advance a nexus approach to the sustainable management of environmental resources.”
