Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) has become a member of the Global Universities Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES), formed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The goal of GUPES is increasing engagement with universities and promoting environment and sustainability matters in research, teaching and management of universities.

MRU Faculty of Politics & Management's Institute of Public Administration Prof. Paulo Alexandre de Silva Pereira was instrumental in having MRU join the organization.

GUPES objectives include:

• To build, through university education systems, a professional capacity and leadership needed for the prevention of and responses to environmental issues, risks and associated sustainable development;

• To contribute to revitalizing the global higher education system and enabling it to address current sustainable development challenges with emphasis on UNEP’s thematic priorities of Climate change, Disasters and Conflicts, Ecosystem Management, Environmental Governance, Chemicals & Waste, Resource Efficiency - Sustainable Consumption & Production;

• To contribute to the knowledge generation within UNEP’s priority areas and other contemporary environmental and sustainability issues, risks and challenges;

• To optimize development opportunities provided by ecosystem services in a sustainable manner in line with the principles of “Green Economy” and in the context of sustainable development;

 • To help prepare the world for the projected impacts of global climate change, disasters and conflicts, harmful substances and hazardous wastes, as well as to assist in reversing and mitigating these and other negative environmental trends.

More than 520 universities throughout the world are members of the GUPES network.