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17th SDG–UP Workshop Plans Academic Consortium, Calls for Broad Stakeholder Engagement

The online event engaged 45 participants from 24 universities across Japan, convening four working groups.

On 16 June 2022, UNU-IAS organised the 17th workshop of the SDG–Universities Platform (SDG–UP). The online event engaged 45 participants from 24 universities across Japan, convening four working groups for the first time in 2022.

Working Group on SDGs Curriculum

The group discussed establishing an SDG–UP academic consortium to administer the online course "Introduction to the UN SDGs," which was developed in 2021 as a certificate programme.

Working Group on University Evaluation and Accountability

Group members agreed to promote behavioral change in universities through external evaluation schemes such as the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. Hokkaido University, which ranked 10th in the world in the Impact Rankings 2022, reported their initiatives.

Working Group on University Collaboration

This group discussed ways to explore collaboration between universities and local communities with an emphasis on working with students and disseminating information about SDG–UP.

Working Group on Management

Views were exchanged on issues and solutions for making sustainability a fundamental part of university management. The group identified each university's strengths and considered the possibility of leveraging corporate ESG investments.

In closing, Shunichi Murata (SDG–UP Advisor; Professor, School of Policy Studies, Kwansei Gakuin University) remarked that Japanese universities had increased their participation and performed well in the Impact Rankings 2022. He noted that faculty and students hoped to learn from various SDG-related practices to promote change at the management level.

A detailed report on the event is available in Japanese.

Participating Universities

This workshop engaged 24 participating universities, which are listed below in alphabetical order.

Ehime University

Hiroshima University

Hokkaido University

International Christian University

International University of Japan

Kanazawa University

Keio Gijuku University

Kwanseigakuin University

Notre Dame Seishin University

Ochanomizu University

Okayama University

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University

Osaka Metropolitan University

Osaka University

Ryukoku University

Soka University

Sophia University

Tokyo City University

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Toyo University

The University of Kitakyushu

The University of Tokyo

University of Tsukuba