The opening ceremony of the Tsinghua-Yale Sustainable Development Leadership Program (ESDLP) co-hosted by THU, Yale University and China Association of Mayors (CAM), was held on June 17 in SOE.

Mr. Chen Xin, Deputy Secretary-General of CAM, presided over the opening ceremony. Prof. Yuan Si, Vice President of THU, Ms. Tao Siliang, Executive Vice-President of CAM, and Mr. Wang Xintang, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Official Education, the Organization Department of the Communist Party of the China Central Committee (ODC), were present and delivered speeches at the meeting. Mr. Wang Changyuan, Deputy Secretary-General of CAM, Prof. Yu Gang, Dean of SOE and all trainees attended the ceremony.

22 members from ODC, Ministry of Housing and Rural-Urban Development of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Environmental Protection, and more than 10 provinces and cities, joined in the program this year. This seminar will last 3 weeks and be held in THU and Yale University separately.

ESDLP was initiated in 2004. Its aim is to make full use of the advantage and influence of these two famous universities on environmental pretection and urban development. From ESDLP, all trainee officials shall be able to better understand urban construction and management, sustainable development, environmental protection, eco-civilization construction, energy crisis and climate change. ESDLP was listed in the “National Advanced Official Abroad Training Program” in 2009.