On November 24, the Role of Universities in Advancing the UN SDGs organized by the Embassy of Canada to China was held in the form of online workshop. The workshop invited Canadian and Chinese universities and scientific research institutes, SDG-related social organizations and associations, enterprises and foundations to communicate with a view to providing new opportunities for the future development of Sino-Canada higher education cooperation and nurture the potential to jointly contribute to the achievement of the SDG goals.

Sustainable Development Goals aim to completely solve the development problems of the three dimensions of social, economic and environmental in a comprehensive way from 2015 to 2030. So as to turn mankind to the path of sustainable development.

Vice President Prof. LIU Wenhua and International Office Director Dr. GAO Jian attended the workshop on behalf of Shantou University. University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, Queen’s University, Trent University and University of Waterloo, the five top universities from Canada, and Southwest Petroleum University, Shantou University, Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, the five Chinese universities‘ leaders discuss online on how to combine their own disciplines and scientific research advantages, undertake the mission of universities servicing the society, and promote the transnational cooperation between universities of the SDGs.

Combined with the advantageous scientific research fields of participating Canadian and Chinese universities, the workshop gathered the three specific goals of “Climate action”, “life under water”, and “Partnerships for the goals” to discuss. Prof. LIU Wenhua systematically introduced the positive efforts and attempts made by STU in the scientific research, talent training, public welfare services, combination of industry, university and research and innovative methods from five dimensions, including marine ecological protection, green energy research and development, carbon neutral and future technology education and research, integrative thinking education, industry-university-research cooperation, and public welfare service courses. The exploration achievements of STU in sustainable development impressed the organizers and participating universities. Dr. Anya Waite, Assistant Vice President and CEO of the Oceanography Institute of Dalhousie University, is very interested in the offshore wind power project that STU cooperates with enterprises, which is one of the innovative applications of various industrial integration that STU cooperates with enterprises. STU has carried out strategic cooperation with China Datang Cooperation, Shanghai Electric Group, China Resources Wind Energy and other enterprises to make positive contributions to the development of green energy. Dr. Anya Waite introduced the Ocean Seed Fund Project of Dalhousie University, an innovative cooperation model that links academics, governments and society in a business model, and looks forward to in-depth cooperation with STU in the future.

The participating universities introduced their practical attempts made in sustainable development in combination with their own positions and superior disciplines. STU will take the opportunity to participate in the workshop to establish scientific research and academic cooperation with high-level universities in Canada, strive to provide STU teachers and students with high-quality scientific research cooperation projects and exchanges opportunities.