Rector Jun Liu leads a delegation to participate in THE GSDC event, exploring global collaboration and sustainable development among higher education institutions
The 2026 Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC), jointly organized by Times Higher Education (THE) and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. As a content partner of the congress, Prof. Jun Liu, Rector of the City University of Macau (CityU) led a delegation to attend the event and host a thematic session. Together with authoritative scholars from the UK, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Singapore, he held dialogue on the theme of “How are universities shaping sustainable cities through global collaboration?”, conveying frontier thinking and responsibility in Macao higher education to the international education community.
As THE’s largest flagship annual conference, this year’s congress was themed “Collective action for a sustainable future”. The event lasted for four consecutive days and attracted over 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries and regions, including officials from national education ministries, representatives of UN agencies, university leaders, corporate representatives and researchers. The congress focused on core role of higher education in implementing the UN SDGs, covering dimensions such as teaching innovation, frontier research, university governance and cross-border collaboration, promoting interaction and dialogue of all parties through forums, exhibitions, and exchanges. The active participation of CityU was not only the concrete practice of adhering internationalization and sustainability research, but also the responsibility of Macao higher education integrating into the global governance system for sustainable development.
During the congress, Rector Jun Liu host a forum with the theme of “How are universities shaping sustainable cities through global collaboration?”. Together with five guests, Rector Liu held a dialogue focusing on two key topics: “deepening cross-border collaboration to address urban transformation” and “establishing a global innovation talent ecosystem”. Guests included Prof. Dawn Freshwater, executive director of Worldwide University Network and former vice-chancellor of the University of Auckland; Prof. Julian Skyrme, executive director of social responsibility at the University of Manchester; Mr. Mohammad Nurunnabi, UNESCO chair on education for sustainable development (ESD) green skills and climate actions, and professor at Prince Sultan University (Saudi Arabia); Prof. Rosdiadee Nordin, co-director of the Future Cities Research Institute at Sunway University; and Prof. Michelle Lim, UNESCO chair of sustainability law futures and assistant professor at Singapore Management University.
Guests delved into vivid cases from their cities and institutions to discuss how universities can transfer from traditional centers of knowledge into core engines that support urban innovation, cultivate talent, and drive sustainable growth. They also shared innovative practices in resilient city construction, social equity, climate change, and knowledge transfer. As the organizer of the forum, CityU conveyed the voice of Macao higher education to the world, enhancing international understanding and recognition of the development philosophy of Macao higher education. The forum was packed, attracting the attention and participation of over 150 international delegates.
In addition, CityU set up a booth at the venue to host higher education peers from around the world, demonstrating CityU educational achievements, curriculum innovations and success in talent cultivation and research to further expand its network of high-level global partners. Rector Jun Liu also accepted THE official interview, sharing the University’s role and commitment in advancing global sustainable development. CityU Pro-Rector Chu Te Lin and Prof. Wu Cheng, head of Office of Global Affairs attended this event.
