Sunway University Transforms Our World by Advancing Sustainable Development Goals

BANDAR SUNWAY, Malaysia, Dec. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Intended to mobilise comprehensive collaboration among Southeast Asian nations for sustainable development, the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development was officially launched on 9 December 2016 by Dato' Sri Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. A catalytic move by Malaysia to spearhead the achievement of the United Nations' seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Center is the result of a gift of USD 10 million from Malaysia's largest education-focused social enterprise - the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.

Taking a leading role in advancing the seventeen SDG goals, the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development in Sunway University is to develop linkages with leading universities and think tanks around the world and in Malaysia. Moving Malaysia and Asia forward in the area of sustainable development will see the Center work on curating the world's best curriculum, academic and executive programmes on sustainable development.

The Prime Minister hailed the establishment of Jeffrey Sachs Center which reinforces the government's commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and commended it's leading role in supporting the government in advancing these goals.

In conjunction with the launch of the Center, the inaugural conference 'Moving Decisively Forward on Sustainable Development Now!' featured five keynote speakers in the area of sustainability. Professor Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, the Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia spoke on "Walking the Talk on Implementing the SDGs: A Case for Malaysia and South-East Asia," followed by Professor Daniel Schrag from Harvard University in USA touched on "Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Opportunities for the Developing World". Professor Angelo Riccaboni from University of Siena in Italy focused on "Food Systems for Sustainable Development: Innovations are Needed" while Professor Xue Lan from Tsinghua University in China discussed "Policy Challenges in Implementing Sustainable Development Goals." Professor Jeffrey Sachs' closed the day with his talk on "What Does Sustainable Development Really Mean?".

Very much aware that the SDG goals are not the sole responsibility of governments alone, Founding Trustee of the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Founding Chancellor of Sunway University, Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, AO is of the opinion that all sectors of society that is the private sector, academia, civil society groups and, of course, every single individual should play a role in sustainable development.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Chairman of the Center said the Center will concentrate on four main capacities encompassing teaching programmes to help the new rising generation of Malaysians and students from all over the region and the world to become leaders of sustainable development; research to understand practical challenges and find real solutions; work with the Malaysian government to bring people here, and to help neighbouring governments to plan and see the pathways to sustainability and take regionally co-operative steps for success.

For more information on the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSC) at Sunway University please email: [email protected]

SOURCE Sunway University