菜单

UoM Leading the World on Sustainable Development

日期:2021-09-15 浏览:785作者:UoM China Centre

On 9 September 2021, the British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai (BritCham Shanghai) held its inaugural Sustainability and ESG Summit 2021, themed ‘Let’s make our future together’, at Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai.

Head of China Office of UN Global Compact Ms Meng Liu, British Consul-General Shanghai Chris Wood, and BritCham Shanghai Chair Ray Chisnall attended and delivered speeches at the Summit. Managing Director of China Centre, the University of Manchester Ms Sherry Fu attended the Summit featured six keynote speeches and four panel discussions with nearly 30 speakers. COP26 High Level Champion Nigel Topping, and Global CEO of Unilever Alan Jope, both sent over video messages.


Managing Director of UoM China Centre, Sherry Fu at the Sustainability and ESG Summit


The University of Manchester China Centre was invited to be the exclusive Academic Supporter for this Summit. During the Summit, Ms Sherry Fu delivered a keynote speech “Global Challenges, Manchester Solutions”. She said in her keynote: “we strongly believe that universities are here to address the big questions and challenges facing humanity and the natural world, and there’s no better framework for this than the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals which apply to all countries and sectors of society.”

Below is the main content from her keynote speech:

This year, the University of Manchester were named the world’s number one university in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings. Manchester topped the table of more than 1,200 universities from 98 countries and regions on actions taken towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As one of the world’s leading research institutions and the UK’s only university to have social responsibility as a strategic core goal, the University of Manchester is playing a leading role in tackling the SDGs in four ways – through our research, learning and students, public engagement activities and responsible campus operations.

While investors are increasingly applying ESG as part of their analysis to identify material risks and growth opportunities, at Manchester we believe that universities exist for public benefit. To support this, we undertake work against all 17 SDGs.

In order to support No Poverty and Gender Equality goals, we have invested more than 15 million pounds each year in financial support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

At the University of Manchester China Centre, we also offer Women Empowerment Scholarship, International Talent Scholarship, Responsible Business & Community Spirit Scholarship and Industry Pioneer Scholarship for exceptional applicants who want to study Manchester Global MBA Programmes.




As the pioneer for online and blended learning, the University of Manchester in 2020 launched a part-time online blended-learning Master course: International Fashion Marketing. One of the units of this course focuses on the role of innovation as a response to shifts in industry practice, to address contemporary issues such as ethics, sustainability and fashion consumption. We are hoping to cultivate our students to become industry leaders by addressing global challenges.

In general, we are committed to becoming a zero-carbon university by 2038. We are one of the few universities in the UK to hold a charter mark for race equality. We have transformed printed textbooks into electronic books, journals and databases to facilitate our students’ study at China Centre. We also lead the biggest research project in the sustainable development of the world’s dams.

We are making all efforts to make the university a place where research has international impact, where students experience, outstanding teaching and learning, transforming into employable graduates, and where all activity is enriched by a commitment to social responsibility and the benefits we bring to society and the environment.

Ms Sherry Fu said: "These are just a few examples of what we do. We want to stimulate new ideas, actions and collaborations so that together we can play our full role in tackling the world’s sustainable development goals."



She emphasised the slogan from the UoM Worldwide: “No Barriers, No Boundaries.” From the UK to China and to all around the world, we will continue to raise awareness of the role of higher education in addressing the SDGs through publications, videos, conferences, exhibitions and events.



After Ms Sherry Fu’s keynote speech, four guest speakers invited by the University of Manchester delivered a panel discussion about the impact fashion has on the environment and what fashion businesses are doing to tackle those issues. The moderator: Senior Reporter, Industry and Environment, Thomson Reuters - David Stanway, panellists: Vice President Sales, Goodgifts, Reid Lu, Designer & Sustainable Fashion Specialist, Founder of Zodiac Active, Stephanie Lawson shared the actions taken on their brands and discussed in-depth about fashion industry’s development.



BritCham Shanghai's Executive Director - James Dunn


To conclude the Summit, BritCham Shanghai’s Executive Director James Dunn announced the Chamber’s Environmental Commitment Pledge and the 16 companies who have signed up the Pledge. He said: “ BritCham Shanghai will continue to follow up with these companies to further share cutting-edge information via a series of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) seminars at University of Manchester China Centre, let’s make our future together!”


For more details, please contact UoM China Centre Admission Team

Phone: 021-60701318

Email: master@uom.ac.cn

Website: www.uom.ac.cn