Okayama University, Japan

At Okayama University, curriculum re-orientation in higher education and research towards sustainability has been taking place in the Graduate School of Environmental Science, which is the platform of UNESCO Chair in Research and Education for Sustainable Development at Okayama University. Its cooperation with civil society and inter-university collaboration are the main features of this programme.

The ESD efforts of Okayama University aim to develop personnel capable of contributing to sustainable development both at the local and global levels. Community engagement and internship opportunities for learning and researching sustainability issues are integrated into the curriculum of the Graduate School. Assisted by municipal governments, enterprises and civil society organizations, each programme under the ESD-oriented curriculum has been planned and implemented.

Through students’ engagement in community development at non/informal educational settings, research and educational opportunities are provided to learn and research sustainability issues at the local level. In addition, overseas research activities and internship opportunities to learn for realizing sustainability at the field level in cooperation with the partner universities and organisations are incorporated into the curriculum of the Graduate School.

Utilising existing inter-university cooperation, the UNESCO Chair at Okayama University provides practical opportunities in terms of sustainability.

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