On July 3, a signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Wuhan University and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) was held. Wuhan University President Zhang Pingwen, Executive Director of UNITAR and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nikhil Seth, and the Director of the United Nations Satellite Centre, Einar Björg, attended the ceremony, which was conducted in a combined online and offline manner.
In his speech, Zhang Pingwen provided an overview of Wuhan University and the disciplinary background of mapping and remote sensing. He also reviewed Wuhan University’s extensive and in-depth cooperation with international organizations over a long time, especially with UNITAR. He expressed his hopes that both sides would give full play to their respective advantages and engage in more diverse and stable cooperation around the training of reserve talents for international organizations, capacity building of geographic information technology in developing countries and implementation of international big science program projects, so as to contribute to the promotion of social progress, world peace and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Mr. Seth stated that UNITAR and Wuhan University have carried out fruitful cooperation since the signing of the first phase of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in 2019. Interns from Wuhan University, in cooperation with experts from UNITAR, have made significant contributions to emergency response, satellite image analysis, night-light satellite image application and artificial intelligence. He particularly highlighted the use of Chinese satellites to provide valuable information for the rapid assessment of the major earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. As this year coincides with the 60th anniversary of the founding of UNITAR and the 130th anniversary of the founding of Wuhan University, Mr. Seth said that he looked forward to the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation and the commencement of a new chapter of cooperation between the two sides.
Director Yang Bisheng and Deputy Director Wu Huayi of the State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing attended the event. The signing ceremony was presided over by Gui Ling, deputy director of the Office of International Affairs.
UNITAR was established in 1963 in accordance with a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly as the highest level executive body under the United Nations General Assembly, with its headquarters located in the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Its mission is to address global issues by developing the individual, institutional and national organizational capacity of UN member states and stakeholders through high-quality learning solutions and related knowledge products that enhance decision-making capacity and national action. In addition to its headquarters in Geneva, UNITAR has six offices in cities such as Bangkok (Thailand), Nairobi (Kenya), and New York (USA), and 17 affiliated training centers around the world.
Photo by Cao Haigang, Cao Hanrui
Rewritten by Cai Xuying
Edited by Xiao Shan, Yu Jiaao, Sylvia, Xi Bingqing
