Sep 09, 2022

Global challenges require global networks

minister with project responsibles — Federal Minister Ms. Baerbock (middle, with DAAD Secretary General Dr. Sicks) and representatives of the Global Centers

Around a third of the country is currently flooded in Pakistan, affecting more than 30 million people. The frequency and intensity of such extreme events is increasing globally - and these and other global challenges can only be solved together.

Not least for this reason, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has been supporting a total of eight Global Centres with funds from the Federal Foreign Office since May 2021: four for health and pandemic prevention and four more for climate and environment. Led by the TU Dresden, together with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM, Chennai, India), the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT, Bangkok, Thailand), the RWTH Aachen and the Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources of the United Nations University (UNU-FLORES, Dresden, Germany), the "Global Water and Climate Adaptation Center" was created. This ABCD Centre (after the initials of the 4 participating locations in 3 countries on 2 continents) will deal with climate adaptation measures in the Global South, especially in the water sector.

ABCD project group at TU D — Management, coordination, scientists and scholarship holders of the ABCD-Center

After a workshop at the TU Dresden with all partners involved to identify and further develop upcoming joint research ideas, a delegation from the ABCD Center took part in the first joint conference of all global centers under the title "International Scientific Cooperation for the World of Tomorrow: Global Centers for Health and Climate” on September 6^th and 7^th in Berlin. The event was opened by the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Annelena Baerbock - she emphasized the relevance of science for foreign policy and diplomacy, the importance of international networks, and the promotion of young scientists to be able to meet the challenges of our time.

In the program of the conference, the ABCD Center was actively represented in the panel discussion "One planet, one health - discussing partnerships for healthy people on a healthy planet" and the organization and implementation of a workshop on "Academic Collaboration across the Global South" together with colleagues from the African Climate and Environment Centre – Future African Savannas (AFAS). In addition, fellows from the Global Centers had the opportunity to present their work during a poster session.