Earlier this year, four RVRC students were selected to attend the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Undergraduate Leaders Programme (APRU ULP), hosted from 7-18 Jul 2024 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. These students are Lisa Lim Xin Quan, He Xinghua,Wong Yang Cheng, and Zhuang Ying'En (Shanice).

APRU ULP 2024 aimed to equip its participants with the skills, knowledge, and perspectives necessary to drive positive change in their communities and contribute meaningfully to the global discourse on urban sustainability. The program aligned itself as an incubator for innovation and thought leadership, where students were exposed to the real-world challenges of urban renewal, heritage conservation, and environmental conservation, but were also encouraged to envision and craft transformative solutions.

This year’s theme was “Sustainable Development in a Fast-Changing Metropolis”. The focus of the program was on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 11): Sustainable Cities and Communities, as well as cross-cutting goals on food security (SDG 2), green mobility (SDG 7), and sustainable ecosystems (SDGs 14 and 15). By exchanging ideas and developing solutions that promote the sustainable development of cities, students from diverse backgrounds across the Pacific Rim developed a nuanced understanding of issues related to the development of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities.

RVRC thanks the APRU for organising the event and providing our students with the invaluable opportunity to learn, reflect, and share new perspectives about sustainability development.