Two Tsinghua GEP students, Miss. Chang Wang and Miss. Qiying Kuang were received by the Chinese Ambassador, Her Excellency Li Yanduan on February 6, 2015. The Director of SPREP Waste Management Division, Dr. David Haynes was also present at the meeting. The reception marked a beginning of Intership cooperation between Global Environment Program and SPREP. The two students will provide an analysis of the relative benefits and synergies among the Waigani, Basel and Minimata Conventions, and develop a background paper and position statement for the Pacific region on waste to energy options, both students will be based in SPREP's Waste Management Division as part of their work attachment to their dissertations.

In addition to the over 3-month overseas course study and the POPs Conferences, GEP students will have chance to attend various international exchange activities.  Miss. Kuang and Miss Wang are the first Chinese students ever working at SPREP in its 40-year history and this is thus a significant landmark for cooperation between the Chinese Government and SPREP.
 
Mr, David Sheppard, the Director General of SPREP, addressed that "the work attachment would also give the students a broad view of SPREP and its work in the region, therefore helps to further strengthen the cooperation between the Chinese Government and SPREP."

The Chinese Government has been an active sponsor of SPREP's work since 2003, and recently donated USD150, 000 to help SPREP's undertakings in environmental protection in the Pacific region. Tsinghua University would like to dispatch more students to SPREP to support research work and other tasks.

SPREP
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) was established in 1982,  it has been working proactively among governments in the Pacific region, to help with protection and sustainable development of the region's environment. SPREP is based in Apia, Samoa, with over 90 staff. The Chinese government is always supporting its work.
 
GEP
Global Environment Program is initiated in School of Environment, Tsinghua University which is aiming to foster future global environmental leaders.

 Chinese Ambassador H.E. Li Yanduan and General Secretary of SPRER meet GEP Students in Samoa