Jul 19, 2023

Global Professionals Celebrate Environmental Management Journey at TU Dresden

Group photo with flags — Participants of the 46th UNEP/UNESCO/BMUV International Postgraduate Course on Environmental Management for Developing Countries (EM46) celebrate the completion of their advanced training with lecturers and supporters.

What a fitting, emotionally charged culmination of a six-month journey of mutual learning, diversity, and friendship! On July 14, the participants of the 46^th UNEP/UNESCO/BMUV International Postgraduate Course on Environmental Management for Developing Countries (EM46), coming from 17 different countries, gathered in the Rector's Hall of the Technical University of Dresden (TUD) to celebrate their achievements and to gain momentum for the tasks ahead. Since January, they have been exploring the interconnected challenges of the Global Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at CIPSEM, the Center for International Postgraduate Studies of Environmental Management, embedded in the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The spokespersons of the group, Ms. Délice Muhoza from Burundi and Mr. Vaibhav Aggarwal from India emphasized that the realization of how much the participants have in common, despite their very different backgrounds, is a crucial insight from the course.

Address by course participants Délice Muhoza (Burundi) and Vaibhav Aggarwal (India)

To the delight of the audience, a short video brought back memories of joint excursions, seminars and social events. There is a lot of gratitude towards the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), which funds and supports the course program through the German Environment Agency (UBA), as well as towards the over 90 facilitators, as well as numerous other supporters and the CIPSEM team. Mr. Ralph Wollmann from the German Environment Agency has emphasized the need for deep transformations, not just reforms and incremental changes, to stay within the planetary boundaries. Many participants mentioned that they feel empowered to address these challenges and will keep in touch to support each other. As participants prepare to return to their families and workplaces, Prof. Dr. Ronald Tetzlaff, Chief Officer for Technology Transfer and Internationalization, also invited participants to join and benefit from TUD's extensive alumni network. After the participants were awarded their Postgraduate Diplomas in Environmental Management, alumnus Erik Grigoryan, former Minister of Environment of Armenia and CEO of Environment Group, congratulated everyone through a video message. He emphasized that the role of each individual is crucial in addressing environmental challenges, especially in developing countries. He said that now, after the course, the participants will be those individuals who will create changes on local, national, and international levels that will lead to better environmental conditions and social and economic improvements.