CIL Signs MOU with Universiti Malaya and
Renews MOU with Durham University
On 02 September 2024, the NUS Centre for International Law (CIL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Universiti Malaya acting through its Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) as part of an initiative to establish an ASEAN Universities Climate Change Network. The Network, as reflected in the MOU, seeks to promote joint research and development activities in climate change law and policy as well as other related topics. The Network also aims to serve as a repository for institutional knowledge on these topics and help develop and promote interdisciplinary research on climate change as well as to complement and share each other’s strengths, networks, and skills to enhance climate knowledge in the region, enhance impact and reach on issues of mutual interests, and elevate the ASEAN academic community.
To formalize this initiative, a ceremonial signing was held during the climate change conference “Post-GST and the Road to 2025”. Prof. Ir. Dr. Kaharudin Dimyati, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation signed for Universiti Malaya with Dr. Helena Varkkey, Associate Professor for the Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Chair of the CCAC witnessing while Mr. George Loh, Associate Vice President (Strategic Partnership) signed on behalf of NUS with Dr. Nilufer Oral, Director of the CIL as witness.
Prof. Dimyati shared a few words of appreciation after the signing and acknowledged the importance of greater cooperation on climate change within the ASEAN region. As a first collaboration with the University, Dr. Varkkey spoke during the closing panel of the conference on The International Climate Change Regime – 2030 and Beyond. CIL is optimistic that this will be the first of many fruitful partnerships with other ASEAN universities.
NUS CIL also renewed its MOU with Durham University, through its Centre for Sustainable Development Law and Policy (CSDLP), for an additional three years. Since 2022, this partnership between CIL and CSDLP has produced meaningful collaboration through joint events, research, and submissions. In 2023, NUS CIL and Durham CSDLP collaborated on a joint submission, along with the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, as part of the Global Stocktake process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They also hosted an official side event, along with the Global Ethical Finance Initiative, and Climate Markets and Investment Association, on Finance Flows, Trade, and Closing the Ambition Gap Post-GST: Investor Engagement with Governments at the UNFCCC COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They have also co-hosted a number of conferences, both at Durham and in Singapore on various climate change issues. Prof. Petra Minnerop, Director of CSDLP, and Prof. Laura Marsiliani represented Durham University during the ceremonial signing. Dr. Nilufer Oral signed on behalf of NUS CIL with Ms. Danielle Yeow, lead of the Climate Change Law and Policy programme at CIL witnessing.
