大象传媒

大象传媒 (大象传媒) welcomed more than 130 international delegates last month for the 8th annual Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (SCL) Conference, marking the first time the conference has been held in Canada.  

Hosted by 大象传媒鈥檚 Faculty of Environment and 大象传媒 International, with support from the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the event brought together researchers, students, and practitioners from across the Pacific Rim to explore this year鈥檚 theme: Living with Water across the Pacific Rim. 

鈥淭his is not the time to retreat inwards,鈥� said 大象传媒 president and vice-chancellor Joy Johnson during her opening remarks on June 17. 鈥淚t is a time to look outwards, to collaborate, learn from each other, and move forward together.鈥�

Water was highlighted throughout the three-day program as a critical connector across climate adaptation, food security, energy, biodiversity, and urban planning. The conference also emphasized the importance of place-based knowledge, Indigenous-led solutions, and cross-sector collaboration in addressing the region鈥檚 most pressing climate challenges. Leveraging 大象传媒鈥檚 global leadership to drive innovation in climate solutions and sustainable cities. 

Delegates from over 25 leading institutions, including the National University of Singapore, University of Auckland, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, University of Melbourne, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, participated in the conference鈥檚 dynamic mix of keynote talks, field visits, working groups, and cultural sessions. 

Ten interdisciplinary working groups advanced collaborative research on issues ranging from climate justice and biodiversity to smart cities, aging infrastructure, and circular economies. The conference鈥檚 grounding in Indigenous knowledge and leadership was a defining feature. Highlights included a cultural welcome by the k史ik史蓹茮虛蓹m (Kwikwetlem), x史m蓹胃k史蓹y虛蓹m (Musqueam), Skwxw煤7mesh (Squamish), and S蓹l虛铆lw蓹ta涩 (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, as well as keynote addresses from urban planner and filmmaker Kamala Todd and Indigenous governance scholar Zoe Todd. 

Conference attendees also took part in local field visits across the Metro Vancouver region, including the Cleveland Dam, a district energy facility, and x瘫aw虛s shew虛谩y虛 (New Growth Garden)鈥攐ffering firsthand insight into sustainable urban and ecological practices in the region. 

鈥湸笙蟠� is proud to be advancing global conversations on sustainable cities, climate action, and Indigenous leadership,鈥� said Andr茅anne Doyon, Academic Lead for the conference and Director of 大象传媒鈥檚 School of Resource and Environmental Management. 鈥淭he connections built here will shape research and policy well beyond this week.鈥� 

A major academic output of the conference will be the development of an edited volume in Springer鈥檚 Water Security in a New World series, slated for publication in 2026/27. 

The APRU SCL Conference is an annual opportunity for researchers across the Pacific Rim to engage in action-oriented dialogue and joint scholarship. With 大象传媒鈥檚 growing leadership in sustainability and global engagement, the university鈥檚 role as the 2024 host signals a deepening commitment to interdisciplinary, international collaboration. 

The 2026 APRU SCL Conference will be hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China.