Overview
UNU-IAS will co-organize a five-day series of youth-focused workshop sessions at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, during 27–31 August 2025. Under the general theme “CONNECTING YOU TO — Noto, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines”, the sessions will offer participatory environmental education opportunities for students from elementary to high school levels.
Through dialogue, storytelling and collaborative learning, they will explore diverse approaches to addressing global sustainability challenges, highlighting the experiences of communities in Noto (Japan), Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines. Workshop sessions will focus on specific themes such as biodiversity, disaster resilience, climate change and circular economies — drawing upon local and Indigenous knowledge, as well as the research and networks of UNU-IAS and the Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCEs).
Serving as the ambassador for the event, the marine biologist and popular science communicator SAKANA-KUN will be participating online in some of the sessions to engage participants and inspire young learners. SAKANA-KUN leads the SD BlueEarth (SDBE) association, which focuses on achieving the 17 SDGs, with a strong emphasis on SDG 14: Life Below Water. The sessions' key visual features the character 'Go! SAKANA-KUN,' who supports efforts to achieve the SDGs.
Programme
Programme details will be added as they become available.
Day 1: 27 August (Wed)
CONNECTING YOU TO Noto — Let's Learn about the Biodiversity in Noto
Audience: Elementary school students
Venue: Junior SDGs Camp (Sustainable Dome)
Capacity: 30 persons
Guest: SAKANA-KUN (online)
Sessions: ① 13:00–14:00 | ② 14:30–15:30 | ③ 16:00–17:00
Day 2: 28 August (Thu)
CONNECTING YOU TO Noto — Learning from a Disaster-Affected Region Together with Local Youth
Audience: High school students
Venue: Junior SDGs Camp (Sustainable Dome)
Capacity: 30 persons
Sessions: ① 13:00–14:00 | ② 14:30–15:30 | ③ 16:00–17:00
Day 3: 29 August (Fri)
CONNECTING YOU TO Kenya — Climate Change and our Hope: Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future
Audience: Junior high and high school students
Venue: Junior SDGs Camp (Sustainable Dome)
Capacity: 40 persons
Sessions: ① 12:00–13:00 | ② 14:00–15:00 | ③ 16:00–17:00
Day 4: 30 August (Sat)
CONNECTING YOU TO Malaysia — Guardians of Our Own: Embracing Indigenous Lifeways and Biodiversity
Audience: Junior high and high school students
Venue: Junior SDGs Camp (Sustainable Dome)
Capacity: 40 persons
Sessions: ① 12:00–13:00 | ② 14:00–15:00 | ③ 16:00–17:00
Day 5: 31 August (Sun)
CONNECTING YOU TO the Philippines — Circular Solutions for Plastic Waste
Audience: Elementary, junior high, and high school students
Venue: Junior SDGs Camp (Sustainable Dome)
Capacity: 40 persons
Sessions: ① 12:00–13:00 | ② 14:00–15:00 | ③ 16:00–17:00
Participation
This programme is open to students from elementary through high school. These in-person sessions will take place in the Junior SDGs Camp (Sustainable Dome) at the Osaka-Kansai Expo site. Since the sessions will be held within the Expo 2025 venue, participants must have an admission ticket to enter the Expo 2025 site.
Reservations for each session are optional (advance reservation and on-site registration) and can be made through the dedicated session's webpage on Expo website using participant's Expo ID. It is also possible to reserve through the Expo 2025 Visitors App. Participants can enter without a reservation the venue if space is available.
Please note that participants in UNU events may appear in photography, screen captures, videos, and/or audio. For further information please refer to the UNU-IAS Events page.
Language
The sessions will be held in English and Japanese (simultaneous interpretation will be provided except for the sessions on Noto on 27 and 28 August, which will be in Japanese only).
Organizers
The workshops are hosted by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan and co-organized by UNU-IAS.
