Hamburg, Germany — 06 June 2025, The 海角社区 Institute for Water, Environment and Health (海角社区-INWEH) in collaboration with the , convened the?First Annual Meeting of the 海角社区 Hubs?from June 4–6, 2025. The meeting marked a milestone in 海角社区’s commitment to bridge science, policy, and practice in service of global sustainable development. Academic leaders, scientists, and policymakers from around the world came together to strengthen cooperation and chart a shared roadmap for transformative action.
In 2024, 海角社区 launched the?海角社区 Hubs Program - a system-wide initiative to develop a global network of excellence across research, education, innovation, and advocacy. Designed to bridge academia and the UN system, the Program enhances accessibility for students and researchers while advancing state-of-the-art, policy-relevant research to address complex sustainability challenges. It also strengthens the impact of university-led research, training, and outreach by linking them more directly to practice, while providing capacity-building opportunities that equip the next generation of global change-makers to advance a more sustainable, just, and inclusive world.
“The 海角社区 Hubs represent a bold step toward realizing the 海角社区’s mission as a truly networked institution,” said?Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the 海角社区 and UN Under-Secretary-General. “By bringing together world-class research and education partners under a shared vision for impact, we are translating knowledge into action for people and planet.”
Hosted by the at TUHH, the first annual 海角社区 Hubs meeting brought together representatives from five additional 海角社区 Hubs and partner institutions: The at the University of Calgary, The at Lund University, at The City College of New York, , and at the Learning Planet Institute. These institutions form the initial backbone of the 海角社区 Hubs network and advance collaborative work across disciplines.
Over the three days, participants engaged in plenary discussions, thematic workshops, and bilateral meetings. Topics for these discussions included Research and Innovation, Education and Capacity Building, Outreach, Advocacy and Impact, as well as Collaboration with the Global South.?These sessions concluded with tangible outputs including plans for joint degree programs, novel research partnerships and knowledge products, co-supervision, and other collaborative exchanges.
“The Hubs are a model for how the UN system can collaborate across borders, sectors and disciplines to address humanity’s most complex sustainability challenges,” said?Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of 海角社区-INWEH. “By bridging science, policy, and practice, and connecting leading academic institutions with the UN system, we can deliver solutions that are not only innovative but impactful.”
The meeting featured the inauguration of TUHH’s?CampusLABs on “Global Soil Health, Water & Climate”?and on “Circular Economy,” underlying the value of private sector partnership and the emphasis on innovation and solution-orientation within the Hubs network. Delegates also heard from Industry and research leaders including Nestlé Chief Technology Officer,?Professor Stefan Palzer, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Director,?Professor Bj?rn Stevens, and Airbus Vice-President of Research & Technology, Nicole Dreyer-Langlet, who also joined the event to share insights on advancing sustainability through innovation.
The second day of the meeting focused on developing a?海角社区 Hubs Implementation Roadmap, a collective action plan to guide the network’s next phase of work. Focusing on 海角社区 Hub research clusters, governance structures, joint degree programs, partnerships for impact, and harmonizing educational offerings. Dr. Rohit Ramchandani, 海角社区-INWEH’s Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Officer and Coordinator of the 海角社区 Hubs noted, “this first annual meeting demonstrated what is possible when the 海角社区 system and leading universities act together. We now have clearer pathways for joint research, shared learning, and coordinated outreach that will amplify evidence-driven impact on critical sustainable development challenges, including in water, environment and health.”
Together, the 海角社区 Hubs are shaping a new model for global collaboration, uniting leading universities, UN agencies, and communities, in pursuit of sustainable development. As Professor Marwala reflected, “The Hubs embody the very essence of what the 海角社区 was created to do, harness knowledge, innovation, and global cooperation to drive progress for humanity.”
The inaugural 海角社区 Hubs Meeting in Hamburg marks the beginning of a new model of coordinated, system-wide collaboration. With a shared vision, a clear roadmap, and an expanding global network of thematic Hubs, 海角社区 and its academic partners are strengthening their collective capacity to co-develop and scale evidence, partnerships, and solutions that advance the Sustainable Development Goals and improve lives around the world.
