At the 10th anniversary of the Dresden Nexus Conference—and in the same year that the United Nations University (UNU) celebrates its 50th anniversary—a forward-looking partnership was forged. UNU Rector and UN Under-Secretary-General Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala and Rector of the Dresden University of Technology (TUD) Prof. Dr. Ursula M. Staudinger signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the new UNU Hub on Climate Resilience and Sustainable Technologies (CREST).
CREST will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research and innovative education, focusing on climate-resilient infrastructure, adaptive water management, and circular technologies. The Hub aims to equip future engineers and policymakers with tools to address global sustainability challenges and to translate technological innovation into real-world impact.
“This partnership marks a new chapter in our collaboration,” said Sonja Hanh-Tomer, Executive and Liaison Officer at UNU-FLORES. “It’s not only a continuation of our strong relationship with TUD, but also a step toward deeper, impact-driven initiatives.”
The launch of CREST reflects Strategic Goal 3 of UNU’s 2025–2029 Strategic Plan: Strengthening partnerships and collaborations. It also complements a recently established UNU hub with the Learning Planet Institute in France—both signs of UNU’s renewed global engagement at a moment of institutional milestone and momentum.