ProSPER.Net E-Bulletin Issue 127 (August 2023)

Message from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Greetings from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat! This month we have a number of new publications and upcoming events to share, including the upcoming ProSPER.Net Sustainability Forum to be held this October which will explore the area of equity and inclusion towards Transforming Education. Further details will be announced soon!

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).

Sincerely,
ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Upcoming Events

14th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment 2023
15-17 December 2023, Kandy, Sri Lanka

The 14th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment 2023 (ICSBE) or The Kandy Conference will be held at Earls Regency Hotel, Kandy, Sri Lanka, from 15-17 December 2023. Under the theme of 'Building Sustainable Nations', the Conference will feature presentations by authors of all accepted papers, keynote lectures, and general and plenary sessions accompanied by workshops and technical sessions. The Kandy Conference aims to foster the exchange of ideas, sharing of knowledge, and dissemination of information among academics, professionals, and policymakers on the management of the built environment all over the world. Read more

Save the Date: ProSPER.Net Sustainability Forum
Organised by Sophia University in collaboration with UNU-IAS, and as part of the UN Week at Sophia University, this year’s ProSPER.Net Sustainability Forum will be held on 21 October 2023, from 17:00-19:00 (JST) in a hybrid format. The event will focus on the ramifications of the COVID-19 crisis on the provision of inclusive and equitable quality education, particularly its impact on vulnerable populations, as well as the role of HEIs in striving for sustainability and inclusion in their activities. Further details will be announced soon – but for now, please save the date!

Latest News

RCE Youth Webinar Spotlights Youth’s Pivotal Role and Innovative Community Actions Towards a Sustainable Future
On 10 August 2023, the RCE Youth Webinar was held under the theme ‘Igniting Changes for a Sustainable World: Embracing Intersectionality in Sustainability and Local Community Actions’, to celebrate International Youth Day 2023.

Organised by Regional Youth Coordinators (RYCs), and co-hosted by the Global RCE Service Centre at UNU-IAS, the event brought together 116 participants from around the world, and focused on youth-led initiatives, achieving sustainability, and employing local community actions. Read more

ESD Publications & Other

Policy Brief Informs Resilient Education in SIDS Facing Climate Displacement
A new UNU-IAS policy brief offers guidance on building resilient education systems in small island developing states (SIDS) to meet the needs of people displaced by climate change. Considering the unique challenges faced by SIDS, it puts forward practical recommendations to minimise learning disruption during extreme weather events and facilitate post-disaster recovery. Read more

Community Engagement and Education for Sustainable Development: Promising Cases
Featured in the recently published book ‘Evolution of the United Nations System: An East Asian Perspective’, this chapter ‘Community Engagement and Education for Sustainable Development: Promising Cases’ proposes an urgent transformation of education for sustainable development (ESD) to position education as a main driver for achieving a sustainable society. The paper illustrates eight promising cases from RCE members from China, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Uganda, in engaging communities, finding local solutions to global sustainable development issues and leading action-oriented ESD learning. Read more

Op-Ed Argues for Protecting Education Rights Amid Climate Displacement
On 23 August 2023, The Japan News published an opinion piece by Jonghwi Park (Academic Programme Officer, UNU-IAS) and Ying-Syuan (Elaine) Huang (postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education, McGill University) on the urgent need to address the education challenges faced by climate-displaced people. Drawing on recent research conducted by UNU-IAS and UNESCO, the authors argue that international and national efforts should focus on adapting the education sector to be more resilient to climate impacts. Read more

Report Highlights Integrated Solutions for Biodiversity & Climate Change, Transforming Food Systems
A new UNU-IAS report analyses recent international policy trends and local initiatives addressing climate change and biodiversity loss through integrated solutions. It introduces best practices compiled from local efforts towards transforming food systems. 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.Net Secretariat
United Nations University
Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
5-53-70 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925
Japan