A forum of four major East Asian universities (B esetoha ) themed, “Sustainable urban development in the global context” opened in Hanoi on October 8.

The four universities include Beijing University , Seoul National University , the University of Tokyo and Hanoi National University .

The annual forum offers an opportunity for scientists to share their common interests towards a sustainable future. It is also an important bridge for promoting cooperation between the universities and hi-tech zones and authorities of the four capital cities, creating a development triangle of authority-university-technology park.

The universities will cooperate in training human resources in order to create scientific and technological cities and build scientific researches for sustainable development.

Speaking at the forum, Director of Beijing University Prof. Qifeng Zhou said his university had focused on integrity and connectivity in training and scientific research in order to create a series of research systems with high applicability, serving China ’s goals for energy-saving and environmentally-friendly urban development.

According to Prof. Yeon Cheon Oh, Director of the Seoul National University , training and scientific research at a university should be considered an important starting point for the sustainable urban development, based on ensuring harmony between environmental improvement, economic efficiency and social equity.

Meanwhile, Head of the Tokyo University , Prof. Junichi Hamada, emphasised the need to target the formation of a sustainable urban space. To address implications from urbanisation, there should be new ideas and efforts, creativeness and a new civilisation, he said.

Prof. Mai Trong Nhuan, Director of Hanoi National University, said impacts of global climate change on urban development are very complicated. He said measures to cope with climate change must be based on a cross-cutting approach in order to achieve sustainable development goals.

At the forum, the four universities reached a consensus on building a joint declaration which stresses sustainable urban development in a global context and agreed to build and implement a joint cooperative programme on training MAs majoring in climate change./.