2013/11/05     Dresden, Germany

Signing of cooperation agreement by Prof. Reza Ardakanian, Director of UNU-FLORES, and Prof. Bernhard Müller, Director of IOER. (Image: IOER/Sebastian Tramsen)

On October 30th, UNU-FLORES and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) signed a cooperation agreement. IOER and UNU-FLORES have a lot of common research interests – such as an environmentally conscious development of urban areas and regions, the sustainable use of environmental resources such as soil, water and waste, and the implications of climate change and demographic change on these developments.

UNU-FLORES and IOER agreed to conduct joint research projects, including case-based research in an international context, as well as the production of joint publications and the joint organization and mutual participation in academic meetings and conferences. The two institutes will exchange scientific and technical information and cooperate in the transfer and application of knowledge. Mutual activities for the benefit of young scientists are also planned, including joint teaching activities, primarily at UNU and the Technische Universität Dresden (TUD).

Image: Sebastian Tramsen/IOER

At the signing ceremony, Dr. Reza Ardakanian, Director of UNU-FLORES, emphasized the importance UNU-FLORES gives to collaborating with research institutes in Germany. He pointed out that the UN University offers a possibility of internationalizing the research and policy relevance of IOER.

Professor Bernhard Müller, Director of IOER, welcomed the cooperation agreement with UNU-FLORES. He sees great potential in the collaboration with a UN entity to further transfer the knowledge available at IOER. IOER will also contribute towards the development of the proposed joint Ph.D. program between UNU-FLORES and TU Dresden.In the immediate future, UNU-FLORES and IOER expect to collaborate on a policy brief on the nexus concept for the management of environmental resources that will be used at workshops on the nexus in Asia, Africa and South America. In February 2014, colleagues from both institutions will also assemble at a workshop in Dresden to present their activities and further familiarize themselves with the corresponding other.