What we do?

• The visit included an academic seminar on green ports and sustainable maritime transport, organized by Universidad del Pacífico’s Chancay Observatory and the China COSCO Shipping – SJTU Joint Research Center for Maritime Rules and Standards.

On Wednesday, August 13, Universidad del Pacífico (UP) received a delegation of professors and students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), ranked among the world’s top 50 universities by the Best Global Universities ranking. The group was led by Professor Lei Dai, Executive Deputy Director of the China COSCO Shipping – SJTU Joint Research Center for Maritime Rules and Standards, a center established in 2024 as a collaboration between the company and the university.

The meeting, organized through UP’s Center for China and Asia-Pacific Studies (CECHAP), brought together academics and specialists to exchange knowledge on how the global maritime transport industry can make greater efforts to reduce high levels of pollution generated by the sector. Discussions highlighted the promotion of high-tech “green ports” and the adoption of stricter international regulations for this industry. They also exchanged observations on the strategic relevance of the Chancay port for trans-Pacific trade and how to ensure that this new mega-port adheres to the highest environmental and social governance standards.

A Binational Seminar

The central event was the academic seminar “Green Ports & Shipping: A China–Peru Dialogue on Technological Co-construction and ESG under the Dual Carbon Goals.” The session, open by invitation to the UP community, featured keynote presentations by Professor Lei Dai of SJTU and Omar Narrea, faculty member of UP’s School of Public Management and researcher of CECHAP.

Subsequently, three UP specialists intervened. Professor Mario Chong, Associate Dean of the School of Innovation and Design Engineering, shared his faculty’s initiatives to research and train young professionals in management and logistics, including a major project on ports and their environmental impacts developed in collaboration with partners in the U.S. and Europe. Roger Merino, professor at the School of Public Administration and expert in environmental governance and indigenous rights, then participated, who explained the ESG regulations currently in place in Peru for large investment in infrastructure and extractive industries, and the challenges for their proper implementation. Additionally, Leolino Dourado, researcher at CECHAP, presented comments on the Chinese government’s motivations for promoting the Chancay port and the challenges of linking Chancay with Brazil.

From SJTU, three doctoral students delivered the following presentations:

• “Multidimensional Value Realization of Chancay Port from an Economy-Society-Environment System Perspective” – Xingzhi YANG
• “Operations of Electric Ships in China” – Siqing GUO
• “Shore Side Electricity Subsidy Policy Efficiency Optimization: A Game Theory Perspective” – Yubing WANG

After the presentations and Q&A session, the delegation met with UP authorities and students, followed by a guided tour of the university’s facilities.

An Academic and Strategic Bridge for the Future

The visit by the SJTU delegation made it possible to reflect on the importance of strengthening long-term research networks and academic cooperation on issues that are strategic for Peru’s development.

In this regard, Cynthia Sanborn, Director of CECHAP, emphasized the value of direct dialogue between peers in China and Peru, particularly among young people and future professionals, who are specializing in logistics and maritime management and in developing innovative measures to protect the environment.

Universidad del Pacífico thus reaffirms its commitment to academic excellence, applied research, and international cooperation, strengthening partnerships with leading institutions to offer solutions to the major challenges of the country’s economic and social development.