On 24 May 2023 UNU-IAS organized the 24th workshop of the SDG–Universities Platform (SDG-UP). The online event featured Melissa Goodall, Senior Director of the Environmental Innovations Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania, and engaged 40 participants from 21 universities across Japan.
Dr Goodall discussed the Research Communities programme, one of the activities of the Environmental Innovation Initiative. The programme fosters cross-faculty collaboration, with research organized into trans-disciplinary communities around three themes: stewardship of nature, climate action, and societal resilience. She highlighted the University of Pennsylvania's commitment to climate action, adding that in November 2022 all of its 12 schools announced that they will work on climate change. Dr Goodall highlighted that the Environmental Innovation Initiative has begun to think beyond the SDGs, and is working on themes that are relevant to global discussions about the future. She expressed her hope that this work will be of great use for global leadership in the years to come.
Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS) moderated the Q&A session discussing the relationship between the initiative and the university's management, and the challenges faced in specific projects. During group discussion participants exchanged opinions on the theme "Efforts and Challenges Toward a Sustainable Campus".
In closing, Shunichi Murata (SDG-UP Advisor; Professor of Kwansei Gakuin University) pointed out that over the last two years students became more aware of sustainability issues and put forward innovative ideas. There is also a growing movement calling for the development of cross-faculty curricula. He concluded the workshop by emphasising the increasing importance of faculty efforts to develop human resources as change makers and future leaders.
A detailed report on the event is available in Japanese.
Participating Universities
This workshop engaged 21 participating universities, which are listed below in alphabetical order.
- Chiba University of Commerce
- Ehime University
- Hiroshima University
- Hokkaido University
- Kanagawa University
- International University of Japan
- Keio Gijuku University
- Kwansei Gakuin University
- Notre Dame Seishin University
- Okayama University
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology
- Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
- Ryukoku University
- Showa University of Music
- Soka University
- Sophia University
- The University of Kitakyushu
- Tokyo City University
- Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
- Toyo University