2015/11/13     Dresden, Germany

Saxon State Minister for Higher Education
and the Arts Dr Eva-Maria Stange
(Image: UNU-FLORES).

On Friday 13 November 2015, UNU-FLORES was invited by the Saxon State Minister for Higher Education and the Arts Dr Eva-Maria Stange to present its work to a group of guests. “UNU-FLORES is a perfect example of Dresden’s truly cosmopolitan nature. The achievements of this institute, which is only a few years old, are very impressive.” Her Excellency Dr. Eva-Maria Stange said in her welcoming remarks. “There is, however, still a need to raise awareness of the UNU’s presence in the region.”

To this end, the Ministry invited representatives from local and regional political entities as well as the leading science and education institutions in Saxony to the Ministry for a special introductory seminar. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., UNU-FLORES Director Reza Ardakanian and Academic Officers Stephan Hülsmann and Kai Schwärzel introduced the audience to the development and activities of the Institute and answered questions. The material covered ranged from the initial founding of UNU-FLORES, it’s institutional structure and the official mandate, to concrete examples of current research projects and initiatives.

Image: SMWK

Academic Officer Stephan Hülsmann
(Image: UNU-FLORES).

“Saxony not only has a long history advancing sustainability studies, but also a large community working to promote sustainable practices. This was one of the reasons UNU choose to locate FLORES in Dresden.” Ardakanian explained. “The opportunity to present our work and engage with colleagues from local political and scientific institutions was, therefore, very valuable for UNU-FLORES. While we have and increasing will help local actors connect with a more international network, our collaboration with local actors is fundamental for advancing our research on the Nexus Approach and serving developing countries and UN system entities. We are grateful to the Ministry for this opportunity.”

Academic Officer Kai Schwärzel
(Image: UNU-FLORES)

Among the approximately 40 guests were the Saxon State Secretary Uwe Gaul for Higher Education and the Arts; representatives from Sachsen State Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture; the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport; the Saxon State Parliament and Chancellery and from various academic and research institutions around Saxon, such as the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz.

UNU-FLORES Director Reza Ardakanian (Image: UNU-FLORES)