Gro Brundtland Week of Women in Sustainable Development Opens at NCKU

TAINAN, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) kicked off its weeklong science
event featuring female scientists in sustainable development on Feb. 21
with over 250 scholars, researchers and students who are interested in
sustainability research.

Gro Brundtland Week of Women in Sustainable Development scheduled from
Feb. 21 to 26 features four plenary sessions, symposiums, panel
discussions and exhibitions about global issues related to sustainable
development in public health.

At the opening ceremony, NCKU President Huey-Jen Jenny Su extended her
warmest welcome to the distinguished speakers and female scientists who
have travelled long distance to join the event.

“The Gro Brundtland Week for young scientists in sustainable development
was a generous and visionary initiative from the Tang Prize Foundation
as well as Dr. Brundtland,” said President Su.

She also mentioned that the event will move to the Academia Sinica in
Taipei on Feb. 25, where an ambitious program is about to launch under
the umbrella of international Future Earth initiative to tackle on the
new horizon of research and practice for global sustainable development.

Su is happy to see so many high school students attending the science
event, she expects the event will plant the seed of believing in the
value of sustainable development and the students will become the
sustainable cadets in the endeavors for a sustainable future.

Academician of Academia Sinica Chao-Han Liu gave his remarks and talked
about how to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, which are eight
anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieve.

At the first plenary session, Prof. John D Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi
Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation T.H. Chan Harvard
School of Public Health, gave a talk on what we do for sustainable
development that focuses on natural and human assets.

In his talk, Spengler provided a new formula for sustainability,
S=f(MHN)s*k, which involved Materials(manufacture capital), Human
Capital(well-being), Natural Capital(eco-services+), Social(Integrity of
Institutional structures), and Knowledge(capacity to innovate).

Spengler said he is hopeful for a sustainable future, “not by national
government but by cooperates and companies that have good values.”

Responding to his young audience, Spengler said, “Young generation
utilizing technology and social networking could rapidly accelerate the
reinforcement of good behavior.”

Contacts

National Cheng Kung University
Sonia Chuang, +886-6-275-7575 Ext.
50042
News Center
sonia20@mail.ncku.edu.tw