Partnerships Linking Science and Policy
On 31 May 2019, Ms. Connie Chiang, 3C Executive Director, and Ms. Jing Li, 3C Programs Director, visited Grandview Think Tank to discuss China and Southeast Asia cooperative efforts in marine environmental protection and sustainable use of coastal and marine resources. Grandview is an independent think tank with headquarters in Beijing, China, with branch offices in Europe and USA.
In November 2018, Connie participated in the “Global Ocean Governance Frontier Symposium” held in Xiamen and organized by Grandview. She gave a presentation on 3C and how it engages in blue economy activities. Following the workshop, dialogues were held between the two organizations that led to an agreement to formalize collaborative efforts related to blue economy and other freshwater and marine environment issues. Thus, an agreement to formalize this partnership was explored.
Grandview and 3C first presented each organization’s focal areas of work. Mr. Libo Ren, President of Grandview Think Tank, mentioned that cooperation between China and Southeast Asia on topics of low political sensitivity can play an important role in enhancing mutual trust. Grandview as an independent think tank has the flexibility to collaborate with non-Chinese partners and is looking to expand its program internationally.
Connie mentioned 3C’s strength in science-based ecosystem management, while praising the solid policy research capabilities of Grandview. Both parties can draw on their advantages to cooperate and look forward to filling the gaps on each side. Connie also stated that 3C looks forward to establishing relationships with other multi-disciplinary institutions in order to combine research and management with policy driven actions.
The two organizations reached a consensus on each other's willingness to cooperate in blue economy and environmental actions for the Mekong-Lancang Rivers. After the discussions, Grandview Think Tank and 3C signed a Memorandum of Understanding and agreed to carry out a number of future cooperative actions to promote information exchange and collaborative projects.