CNRD partner universities join forces at the annual network meeting at Vietnam Academy for Water Resources, Da Nang

Group Photo CNRD Annual Network Meeting participants

From October 31 – November 04, 2016, 36 representatives from 20 CNRD partner universities as well as members of the CNRD Advisory Board came together at this year’s network meeting, hosted by Vietnam Academy of Water Resources (VAWR) in Da Nang, Vietnam. Particularly gratifying at this year’s meeting was the participation of four new partners of the network. This shows, on one hand, the high relevance of CNRD and its topics in this world. On the other hand, the network expansion is also a confirmation of the efforts made so far and the work done in recent years. The fact that all new partners have been integrated directly into the planning of the activities for 2017 is a positive signal for the future and represents a further milestone in the consolidation of a sustainable network, which has declared its goal to continue even after the end of the funding period in 2019. Following this logic, the meeting focused on strengthening sustainable collaboration structures among the partners, defining future activities and developing an outlook for the following years. The network meeting started with warm welcome notes from the hosting university CNRD partner Prof. Tung Phong Nguyen and the Director General of VAWR Prof. Nguyen Vu Viet.

The first day of the network meeting was conducted in form of a symposium. CNRD had the opportunity to present its activities and achievements of the last years to the public and regional stakeholders from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the World Bank (WB), representatives from CNRD’s donor the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) – just to name a few. In various roundtable discussions, potentials for cooperation within the scope of research and education were elaborated and identified. A basis for future cooperation was created.

In the short time of the meeting, it was possible to successfully define the planning for 2017. Through intensive cooperation of the participants, numerous activities were prepared and a concrete schedule was made. Noteworthy and appreciated by all participants was the exploration of common interests and the interdisciplinary approach of the CNRD. Particularly pleasing is the fact that different (new) working groups were formed here and that these common interests have been transferred directly into joint workshops and other activities.

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”2″ sortorder=”8,9,10,11,13,14,15,12,16,17,18,19,20″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_thumbnails” override_thumbnail_settings=”0″ thumbnail_width=”240″ thumbnail_height=”160″ thumbnail_crop=”1″ images_per_page=”20″ number_of_columns=”2″ ajax_pagination=”0″ show_all_in_lightbox=”0″ use_imagebrowser_effect=”0″ show_slideshow_link=”0″ slideshow_link_text=”[Show slideshow]” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

This years CNRD annual network meeting will take place in Da Nang, Vietnam

img_7361

The annual CNRD Network meeting will be held in Da Nang, Vietnam, from October 31st to November 4th, 2016. Here, representatives from thirteen worldwide members of the CNRD network gather to discuss the relevant issues of the network, share their experiences and decide on the activities for the following year. The first day of the meeting is organized in the form of a symposium in which the network’s activities are presented to regional and national organizations and potential areas for future cooperation are highlighted. International experts from academia and political stakeholders from Vietnam come to Da Nang to attend the event; these include representatives from the Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). Moreover, representatives from global directed organizations, such as the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) as well as the CNRD-exceed project funding organization, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will participate to foster a community of practice on natural resources management and development. The results of the discussions and the high density of experience presented during the network meeting serve as a framework for a future strategy and increases the visibility of the CNRD network in its field of interest – natural resources management.

CNRD is a worldwide university network promoting academic exchange and cooperation in the area of natural resources management, in particular related to water, land, ecosystem and renewable energy resources. The network aims to provide a valuable contribution to the Post 2015 Agenda and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).