On 19 June 2024, UNU-IAS will hold an event to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Open to the press, this event will explore the key achievements and impacts of the institute since its founding in 2014. It will also look ahead to emerging issues on the global sustainability agenda.
Focusing on synergies, the event will discuss the integrated, science-based solutions that are needed to achieve the SDGs and overcome the interlinked crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. It will examine how sustainability policy has evolved and envision a future agenda for collaborative research and education to address pressing challenges such as planetary health and human well-being. The event will be held at Tokyo National Museum, recognizing the deep links between sustainability and culture.
Date & Time
19 June 2024 (Wednesday), 13:00 – 16:00 JST
Location
Heiseikan Auditorium at Tokyo National Museum: 13-9 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo, Japan
Language
English and Japanese, with simultaneous interpretation provided.
Programme
13:00 – 13:10 Opening
Video screening: "A Decade of Innovation, Collaboration and Impact” (Achievements & Outputs, 2014–2024)
13:10 – 13:30 Welcome Remarks
- Tshilidzi Marwala (UNU Rector and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations)
- Kanai Masaaki (Director-General for Cultural Affairs / Assistant Minister (Ambassador), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA))
- Masami Watanabe (Director-General for International Affairs / Assistant Minister, Ministry for Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT))
13:30 – 14:40 Synergies: A Journey to Putting SDG Progress on Track
Moderator: Jonghwi Park (Academic Programme Officer, UNU-IAS)
- Kazuhiko Takemoto (President, Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center and former Director, UNU-IAS) — video message
- Akio Takemoto (Head of Programme and Administration, UNU-IAS)
- Tsunao Watanabe (Senior Programme Coordinator, UNU-IAS)
- Melissa Goodall (Yale University; UNU-IAS Board Member)
14:40 – 15:50 The Future of Sustainability in the Anthropocene: A Human Security Approach to Planetary Health & Well-being
Moderator: Yasushi Katsuma (Academic Director, UNU-IAS)
- Xiaomeng Shen (Vice-Rector in Europe, UNU and Director, UNU-EHS)
- Kazuhiko Takeuchi (President, IGES)
- Taikan Oki (Special Advisor to the President, The University of Tokyo)
- Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS)
15:50 – 16:00 Closing
- Sawako Shirahase (Senior Vice-Rector, UNU)
Further details will be added here once available.
Nb: This program is followed by an exhibition viewing at the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures (16:15–17:30) and a reception (17:45–19:00).
Media Registration & Interviews
Journalists who wish to cover the event and/or arrange interviews with UNU-IAS experts can send an email to the following media contacts, by 7 June. (Please indicate whether you are interested in joining the reception.)
For media inquiries in English or French: Anne Lecroq, Media & Engagement Associate (anne.lecroq@unu.edu)
For media inquiries in Japanese: Tomoyo Tanno, Communications Associate (tanno@unu.edu)
Background
Based in Tokyo, Japan, the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) has advanced progress on global sustainability through a decade of innovative, policy-oriented research, education and capacity development. We have helped to develop and implement crucial international frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Alumni from our master’s and doctoral programmes are at the forefront of sustainability efforts in governments, private companies, international organizations and academia.
