A Project Progress Report (PPR) from the RISE Lab, a joint initiative of Tongji University, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), has been recognized by UNDP China as one of the ten most outstanding progress reports of 2025. Selected from nearly 40 reports, this certification highlights RISE Lab’s strong performance in delivering project results, high-quality reporting, as well as its contribution as a model of international academic partnership.

Launched in June 2025 and based at Tongji University, RISE Lab leverages the university’s world-class research capabilities in urban planning, engineering, and environmental sciences. It advances interdisciplinary research on disaster prevention and climate adaptation, generating actionable insights to support the development of resilient cities worldwide.

In October 2025, RISE Lab organized its very first flagship event “RISE Week 2025: Co-creating Resilient Urban Futures,” that brought together over 100 government officials, practitioners, and researchers from 16 countries. The event focused on frontier topics such as data-driven governance and nature-based solutions, complemented by field visits to link theoretical insights with practical applications. The event has gained significant media attention, achieving a total reach of approximately 1.885 million views.

Moving forward, RISE Lab will continue to draw on Tongji University’s extensive academic strengths and UNDP’s global sustainable development network to advance peer learning and promote scalable solutions in urban resilience. By synthesizing and sharing research findings and practical lessons, the Lab aims to foster international exchange and support capacity-building efforts worldwide.