Beijing Forestry University (BFU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a joint "Garden City" laboratory, advancing collaborative research and education in sustainable urban development. Backed by a 2024 international joint laboratory initiative, a delegation from BFU, including Professor Zhang Yunlu and Lecturer Ye Yang, visited NUS for exchanges and cooperation. This project is jointly administered by the School of Landscape Architecture at BFU and the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences at NUS.

The signing ceremony, presided over by Professor Lu Xixi, Singapore lead of the Joint Laboratory, featured significant academic exchanges between the partner institutions. Professor David Taylor, Head of NUS's Geography Department, emphasized the university's global leadership in environmental studies and urban innovation research. Professor Zhang Yunlu presented BFU's academic strengths in landscape architecture and proposed integrating Beijing's urban greening strategies with Singapore's globally recognized garden city model to foster interdisciplinary research and talent development.

The BFU delegation visited NUS Cities, a hub for smart urban solutions, where both institutions agreed to co-develop academic programs, summer schools, and case studies on sustainable urbanization.

The delegation also visited Heng Chye Kiang, Deputy Dean of the School of Design and Engineering at the NUS, as well as professors Lam Khee Poh, Tan Puay Yok, and Yuan Chao from the university. Then they toured NUS's cutting-edge facilities, including zero-energy building labs and design studios.

This collaboration, which represents a key move for the School of Landscape Architecture, BFU to promote internationaldevelopment, establishes a transnational platform to address global sustainability challenges while contributing to Beijing's "Garden City" vision through joint research and educational initiatives.

Written by Zhang Yunlu
Translated and edited by Song He
Reviewed by Yu Yangyang