People and the Environment Preserving the Balance : The Report of Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the Universities of the Commonwealth, Swansea, August 1993 : Including Keynote Address by Sir John Houghton, Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

Over 700 people met in Swansea on 15-21 August 1993 to take part in the ACU's 15th quinquennial Commonwealth Universities Congress. The congress was hosted by the University College of Swansea on behalf of the UK universities and as part of the centenary celebrations of the University of Wales, whose chancellor, HRH The Prince of Wales, was President of the Congress. Delegates came principally from among the ACU's worldwide membership of over 400 universities but also included representatives from other international organizations concerned with higher education and a number of specially invited guests.;Discussion took place on five topics of general concern throughout the Commonwealth under the overall theme of "People and the Environment: Preserving the Balance". The topics were: 1. The natural environment - its conservation and restoration: ecosystems; global issues; specific environmental issues; the devloping world; planning and ethical issues. 2. Social and cultural factors as constraints in university development: religion; language multilingualism; hierarchies; the verbal arts; secularism. 3. Social and economic change in developed and developing countries - urbanization: social and economic development; cities, regions and countries; aid, investment and planning; high-tech economies; social and economic development and higher education. 4. The environmental challenge - an ACU and university response: national responses; sustainable development, and 5. Environmental challenges to the provision of health care: food supply; industrial pollution; natural disasters and climate change; urbanization.;This report of the proceedings contains: a keynote address by Sir John Houghton, Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, on global climate change: the science and the politics; 49 papers presented during Congress week, printed in full; summaries of the discussions that followed the presentation of the papers; commentaries on the week's discussions by each of the five topic chairman; a record of the members of the Congress, including delegates from ACU member institutions and other participants; and an overview of the Congress as a whole - its planning and organization, and the major events and other meetings associated with it.