Duke’s vice president and vice provost for climate and sustainability, Toddi Steelman, will travel to Singapore and China from Nov. 6-18 to meet with Duke partners and engage in some educational and research climate diplomacy.

“The visit is a chance to reconnect in person and to energize and reimagine the kinds of work we want to promote together and across our campuses,” said Steelman who leads the Duke Climate Commitment. “This kind of educational and research diplomacy is essential to strengthening the relationship between our countries and is exactly where we should be working to build bridges.”

In Singapore, Steelman will meet with faculty and leadership of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Duke-NUS Medical School.

She also plans to attend The Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, a celebration of five environmental solutions that show the greatest potential to effect change on a global scale. The award ceremony is a gathering of global climate experts and key foundations.

Following Singapore, Steelman will lead a delegation of deans and other senior leaders to Duke Kunshan University.

The trip to DKU coincides with the Duke International Forum (DIF) on Nov. 17, the focus for which is climate and sustainability. DIF brings together Duke, DKU and Wuhan University faculty, staff and students, academic researchers in China, policy makers, industry leaders and non-profit representatives. Duke representatives in attendance with Steelman include Mary Pat McMahon, Lori Bennear, Jerome Lynch, Brian Murray, Jie Liu, Emily Bernhardt, Tavey Capps, Jackson Ewing, Jonathan Phillips, David Brown, Noah Pickus, Liz Losos and Katie Douglas.

“Some of the most difficult challenges of our time, including climate change and threats to human health, will depend on scholars and practitioners from around the world working in partnership to discover and implement solutions,” Duke President Vincent Price said during a celebration of Duke Kunshan’s 10th anniversary in August 2023. Steelman and other members of the group will host alumni events in Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Kunshan.