Executive Education Program Launched in China

An executive education program that will help Chinese leaders understand and meet the challenges of sustainable development has been established by the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) and the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering of Tsinghua University (DESE).

The Environment and Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP) will provide training for Chinese city mayors, government leaders, corporate executives and managers who are responsible for urban planning and development. The program consists of a one-week seminar at Tsinghua University and a two-week, field-based training experience in the United States or Europe.

Through seminars, workshops, case studies and field experiences, the ESDLP program will focus on three major areas of environmental and science-based decision making and problem solving. These areas are trends, challenges and opportunities in environment and sustainable development; concepts in urban and industrial ecology and their implications for urban planning and policies; and applications of the concepts of sustainable development to specific urban concerns such as water supply and quality, energy, pollution reduction, waste management and other urgent urban environmental issues.

The joint program is sponsored by the France-based company, Veolia Environnement, and its divisions, Onyx Asia and Veolia Water Asia, with core funding to cover the first three-year phase from 2003 to 2005. The sponsors are committed to the environment and sustainable development for future generations in China and around the world.

Tsinghua University is a renowned university in China and is considered the leading national center for training top-quality engineers and scientists. The DESD is a leader in Chinese higher education for the environment and has trained over 5,000 environmental professionals, managers and leaders throughout China.

F&ES is a graduate and professional school that provides teaching, research and outreach in broad areas of environmental science, policy and management to 200 candidates for master’s degrees and 75 doctoral students. The school’s graduates are equipped to assume influential roles in government, business, non-governmental organizations, public and international affairs, journalism, research and education.

For more information, contact: Jining Chen, dean and professor at Tsinghua University, by phone (86-10)-62772045 or fax (86-10) 62785687; Alan Brewster, F&ES associate dean for management and resources, 203-432-5794 or Alan.Brewster@yale.edu; or Dr. Yajie Song, executive director of the ESDL Program, 203-436-4804 or yajie.song@yale.edu.