ProSPER.Net E-bulletin Issue 119 (December 2022)

Message from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Greetings from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat! As we come to the end of the year, we would like to thank all members in the network and participants of ProSPER.Net programmes for your contributions and active participation in our events throughout 2022. Speaking of which, the 2022 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme on shifting to net zero wrapped up today – stay tuned in the new year for a report of the event!

If you have any news, open calls, upcoming events, or publications you wish to share in a future bulletin, please complete this form and email your submission to the ProSPER.Net Secretariat at ProSPERNet@unu.edu (submissions close on the 15th of each month).

From all at the ProSPER.Net Secretariat, we would like to wish you a Happy Holidays!

Please note that the ProSPER.Net Secretariat will be closed during the UNU's official vacation period (26 December, 2022 - 2 January, 2023). We will process your requests and emails when we return in the New Year.

Sincerely,
ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Open Calls

Scholarships and Admissions Open for the Global Sustainability Science Programme (GSSP) at University of Toyama

The Global Sustainability Science Programme (GSSP) at the University of Toyama offers a two-year master’s programme on an interdisciplinary approach to addressing current societal problems by nurturing human resources capacity and formulating strategies for future sustainable pathways. The master’s programme focuses on global environmental challenges and societal transformations from a local to a worldwide level through linking social and natural sciences. From this programme, students will learn to develop skills to design and communicate solutions to sustainability challenges and deepen their understanding of the role of sustainability studies in addressing current problems to global change that creates a future pathway as sustainable development experts.

As part of GSSP, merit-based eligible students from ASEAN countries will be awarded by Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship. In addition, the University of Toyama offers privately financed limited scholarships to international students applying for this programme. Read more about the Graduate School of Sustainability Studies here and learn more about applying here. Guidelines for application submissions for international students can be found here. The application period is from 19-23 December, 2022.

Young Advocates 4 ESD Challenge

Young people are a critical population who are leading ESD-related projects but often do not have the means to access institutional visibility that organisations often can. For this reason, UNESCO officially launched the Young Advocates 4 ESD Challenge.

UNESCO are calling upon all young people under 25 years old to share their voices and stories about how they are promoting ESD-related projects and activities. Young advocates for ESD are encouraged to participate in the challenge in order to have the opportunity to be featured in a UNESCO web story and participate in future ESD events. Participate in the challenge here.

Call for Applications: International Training Program LoCoFoRest

The Swedish Forest Agency (SFA), in partnership with Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) and The Eco-Innovation Foundation (EIF), financed by the Swedish International Agency for Development Cooperation (Sida), are conducting an international training program, ‘Locally Controlled Forest Restoration‘ a governance and market oriented approach for resilient landscapes' (LoCoFoRest in short). Applications are open to young professionals in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam, from government, private sector, civil society and academia sectors and who have an interest in forest and landscape restoration broadly for social, economic and ecological safe-guard and development. Learn more about the program here. Applications are open until 6 January, 2023.

Latest News

Inaugural Meeting of CERN – Circular Economy Research Network Asia Pacific

The Circular Economy Research Network Asia Pacific (CERN) held its first meeting on 14 July, 2022, hosted by RMIT University. The meeting was organised by the Dutch Embassy, RMIT University and Monash University. The meeting brought together Circular Economy (CE) researchers, practitioners, academics, and enthusiasts, with over 160 registered participants.

The meeting commenced with Prof. Usha Iyer-Raniga, RMIT University and Prof. Amrik Sohal, Monash University sharing their experience and thoughts on the current research in the CE space. They stressed an urgency to establish alliances and research collaboration mechanisms among academics across universities, in order to coordinate research to avoid overlaps and deliver a holistic and comprehensive view of the CE landscape. Former Dutch Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment and Emeritus Professor of Sustainable Innovation, Dr Jacqueline Cramer as a visiting Professor at RMIT University spoke about the challenges of adopting the circular economy in the firmly established linear economy. There was also an open discussion facilitated by Associate Prof. Glen Croy, Monash University, among the CE practitioners and academics present at the meeting to share their thoughts on current CE research collaborations in the Asia Pacific and internationally.

The resounding message from the meeting was to collaborate with others outside of academia as this will offer new angles, theories, and methods, produce novel skills, and consequently enrich research and yield a well-rounded outcome. As a network to coordinate cooperation between academic groups, government, and industry, CERN welcomes all who are promoting, researching, and studying CE. Together with its multi-disciplinary members, CERN will actively bridge the gaps and open a gateway to knowledge sharing, communication, and collaboration in promoting, adopting, and researching CE. If you are interested in joining this network, please register here.

(Photo credit: Mohana Motiei)

UNU-IAS Joins Partnership for Reducing Emissions through Carbon Markets under Paris Agreement

UNU-IAS has joined the Paris Agreement Article 6 Implementation Partnership, which aims to support global emission reductions through implementation of markets for trading carbon credits. The partnership, initiated by Japan, was established on 16 November 2022 during the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference (COP27). Read more

ESD Publications & Other

Policy Brief Provides Guidance for Cities to Manage the Financial Impact of COVID-19

A new UNU-IAS policy brief provides recommendations for managing the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on city finances, detailing how municipalities can improve fiscal policy and financial management systems to accelerate recovery and build resilience. The brief, ‘Managing the Impact of COVID-19 on City Finances‘, identifies strategies such as fiscal optimisation, participatory budgeting, and public-private partnerships to avoid financial collapse and deliver sustainable development actions. Read more

This is a publication of UNU-IAS ProSPER.Net Secretariat. The bulletin is a great way to share your activities, events and news as a ProSPER.Net member with the rest of the network. Feel free to send us any information you may deem relevant for the rest of the community by completing this form and emailing it to prospernet@unu.edu. We look forward to your inputs! Visit ProSPER.Net regularly for up-to-date news and event information.

ProSPER.NetSecretariat
United Nations University
Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
5-53-70 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925
Japan