On 9 September 2025, UNU will host “Reimagining Gender and Climate Justice in Higher Education”, a BIG IDEAS Dialogue with Dr. Giselle Miole, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UNU-IAS. This online event will be held via Zoom webinar at 18:00 JST (UTC+9).
How can educators teach about gender in ways that also respond to the urgency of climate justice? Central to their pedagogy is intersectionality, a framework for understanding how systems of power shape people’s lives differently based on gender, class, race and more. To make this tangible for students, Dr. Miole incorporates embodied learning approaches like the “Power Walk” activity to simulate structural inequality, and digital methods such as Climate Fate, an AI-powered game that invites students to navigate climate decisions from diverse social standpoints.
Dr. Giselle Miole will join UNU Senior Vice-Rector Prof. Sawako Shirahase to discuss the intersection of gender and climate justice through Dr. Miole’s experience teaching gender studies in higher education, particularly at Soka University and as a guest lecturer at UNU-IAS. The discussion will explore how classrooms can foster critical thinking and collective responsibility through the integration of gender and climate into one learning space. The event will also reflect on pedagogy as a site of justice, empowerment and cross-sectoral engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Please note this event will be in English; Japanese interpretation will not be provided. Advance registration by 8 September is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.
About the speaker
Dr. Giselle Miole is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo and the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Their research focuses on Indigenous education, climate justice, gender studies and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Miole holds a PhD in International Studies from Waseda University where they explored the educational initiatives of displaced Indigenous schools in the Philippines. They have taught critical race and gender studies at Soka University and currently serve as a guest lecturer for the University of Tokyo and UNU-IAS.
Dr. Miole is committed to building inclusive learning spaces that connect local and global struggles for justice. Their current work explores how digital innovations can support transformative education that advances gender equality and sustainability. Prior to joining UNU-IAS, Dr. Miole was a Junior Fellow and a consultant in the UNU Office of the Rector. They also served as a Postgraduate Assistant at the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council 2023.
