United Nations University / ESRI Collaboration

ESRI and United Nations University (UNU) have approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the university's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. They will collaborate on research, create Centres of Excellence, promote the exchange of graduate students, and provide geographic information system (GIS) training opportunities within and by UNU.

"This agreement will promote enhanced spatial information use in UNU's research and education initiatives," said UNU rector and under-secretary-general of the United Nations professor Konrad Osterwalder. "It will also support the increased presence of young researchers at UNU campuses and complement existing and planned research and education programs."

Adds Michael Gould, ESRI director of education solutions, "The MOU will help connect promising graduate students to real-world problems, such as climate change, water resource management, food security, natural hazards, and sustainable development, and critical issues being researched at UNU institutes using GIS. ESRI is pleased to be able to support their efforts."

UNU has used ArcGIS software since 2006. Projects include the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System, which documents and analyzes transboundary wildlife trade for monitoring purposes and compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The university has also used GIS to assess flood risk and analyze climate and land-use change impacts on water resources in the Asia Pacific region.