In a commemorative ceremony organized by UNU in collaboration with the Japan MoE, Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City and the CBD Secretariat, the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity (2011-2020) was launched in Kanazawa on 17 December 2011. »

On 16 December 2011, UNU-ISP and the Japan Foundation for UNU held a symposium focused on “Human Security — Towards New Development”. The event was attended by students from UNU-ISP and other universities and by jfUNU’s supporting members. »

Watch a video interview with Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla, conducted on 8 December 2011 when she visited UNU headquarters in Tokyo to deliver the 19th U Thant Distinguished Lecture;... »

Kevin Knappett, First Secretary for Science and Innovation at the British Embassy in Japan, spoke as a guest lecturer at UNU n Tokyo on 14 December on strategies to encourage the transfer of scientific research results into industrial sectors. »

The UNU-ISP five-week postgraduate courses on Building Resilience to Climate Change begin on 20 February 2012. The application deadline is 10 January for students from abroad and 20 January for students within Japan. »

Harvard CGA’s WorldMap online database and mapping portal will be integrated into the Wildlife Enforcement Monitoring System, giving increased analytical power to understand patterns in wildlife crime. »

A proposal by the University of Tokyo to designate UNU as a collaborating institution in its “Graduate Programme for Global Leadership Initiative” has been approved for inclusion in the MEXT-funded “Ph.D. Degree Leading Programme”. »

UNU-EHS, in collaboration with the University of Bonn, will conduct a two-week PhD Block Course, “From Vulnerability to Resilience in Disaster Risk Management”, in April in Bonn. The application deadline is 10 February 2012. »

In the 19th U Thant Distinguished Lecture at UNU, President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica laid out her vision for a sustainable future and her hope that the country can serve as a guide for global sustainable development. »

At its 58th session, held in Bruges, Belgium, from 28 Nov. to 1 Dec., the Council of the United Nations University, inter alia, heard the Rector’s annual report and considered the University's financial situation and a range of strategic issues. »