The United Nations University and the Learning Planet Institute Are Joining Forces to Address the Major Global Challenges and Issues of Sustainable Development

Paris/Tokyo, 12 December 2023 — In December 2023, the United Nations University (UNU) and the Learning Planet Institute signed a memorandum of understanding to build and develop research programmes and improve access to education, with the aim of meeting the challenges of sustainable development in France and around the world.

Since 1972, the United Nations University (UNU) has been bridging the gap between academic research and UN action. As an international research and higher education organization, UNU's mission is to provide innovative solutions to global challenges through collaboration between researchers and students, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With 13 institutes in 12 partner countries, UNU collaborates with the world's leading academic and scientific institutions. Its master's and PhD courses also build/enhance skills, particularly in developing countries.

Driven by the conviction that lifelong learning and collective intelligence are central to addressing today's challenges, since 2006 the Learning Planet Institute explores, experiments and shares new approaches to learning and cooperation to meet the needs of young people and the planet. This interdisciplinary research institute creates innovative educational programmes that encourage diversity and initiative. It most notably draws on the LearningPlanet International Alliance, founded in 2019 with UNESCO, to transform education and build a learning society worldwide.

This ambitious partnership between the United Nations University and the Learning Planet Institute aims to:

Promote research into new ways of learning and teaching, including access to education for all
Develop joint training programmes to enhance skills, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups
Organizing exchanges of knowledge on educational transitions and human/artificial intelligence, through symposia, workshops and conferences
Collaborate on university curricula, for example through joint UNU-Learning Planet Institute degrees or co-directed theses
Look ahead and explore the possibility of the Learning Planet Institute becoming a fully-fledged component of UNU

"We are very enthusiastic about this agreement and collaboration with the United Nations University. There is no doubt that this powerful synergy will have an impact on our respective programmes, as well as accelerate the achievement of our common goals in the service of humanity and the planet,” says François Taddei, founder and president of the Learning Planet Institute.

Underlining the importance of this new partnership, UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala says: “Education and capacity building are key to reaching our common goal of peace and prosperity for all. UNU’s partnership with the Learning Planet Institute highlights the necessity for lifetime learning to tackle the complexity of our current and future challenges.”