Higher Education and the SDGs – ProSPER.Net Forum on Sustainability in Higher Education

DATE / TIME:
10 July 2016
LOCATION:
UNU Headquarters, Tokyo

UNU-IAS and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Japan (SDSN) are delighted to host this year’s ProSPER.Net Forum titled “Higher Education and the SDGs”.  Students, staff, faculty, and administrators from higher education institutions and other relevant stakeholders interested in the implementation of the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific region are invited to this event.


Date & Venue:

10 July, 2016, 13:30-17:30

Elizabeth Rose Hall, United Nations University Headquarter Building, 5F – Tokyo, Japan

Language: English

Registration: Registrations open 1 June 2016 here.


Objectives of the Forum

ProSPER.Net as an alliance of leading Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Asia-Pacific committed to the transformation of higher education for sustainable development in the region. With its engagement on joint research projects, ProSPER.Net and its 34 member universities across a dozen countries, is primed to be a key player in the roll out of the sustainable development agenda both throughout the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

UNU-IAS is actively contributing to policy relevant research, related to the 2030 Development Agenda, with a focus on the effective and innovative implementation of the agenda to achieve the SDGs. This forum will showcase some of UNU-IAS’ contributions to the SDGs, highlighting how higher education initiatives can be used as a mechanism for sustainable development, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Researchers will present on how their cross-institutional research projects address a number of SDGs, such as health and nutrition, climate change, urbanization, and energy.

The panel will address the following issues:

1. Which of the SDGs is it most critical for HEIs to engage in your country? What are examples of how HEIs can help reach the targets stated in the SDGs? What are the obstacles HEIs face in contributing to the 2030 Development Agenda?

2. What impact can HEIs clonazepam have on the wider community in reaching sustainability targets? How can HEIs help develop capacity in sustainable development in communities not directly connected to higher education? What channels could be used to share these innovations with other communities?

3. What are key areas for collaboration among HEIs in sustainable development? What are your recommendations for international cooperation between HEIs?

Programme
13:30-13:45Registration
13:45-14:00Opening Remarks
Prof. Yuji Suzuki (Board Chair ProSPER.Net) and Dr. Kazuhiko Takemoto (UNU-IAS Director, ProSPER.Net Secretariat Director)
14:00-14:30Keynote: SDGs and Higher Education, Prof. Norichika Kanie (Keio University; UNU-IAS)
14:30-15:00Curriculum for Sustainable Development in Higher Education
Built environment curricula in the Asia-Pacific region: Responding to climate change – on Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and Goal 13 (Climate Action), Prof. Tony Dalton (RMIT)
Health food traditions of Asia – on Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), Prof. Eni Harmayani (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
15:00-15:10Break
15:10-15:40Research for Sustainable Development in Higher Education
Climate compatible development in Asian cities – on Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and Goal 13 (Climate Action), Prof. Sivanappan Kumar (Asian Institute of Technology)
Understanding decentralized energy interventions and their success conditions in selected countries of Asia-Pacific – on Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Dr. Gopal Sarangi (TERI University)
15:40-16:10Student Engagement with the SDGs – ProSPER.Net Young Researchers’ School
Panellists: Ranaporn Tantiwechwuttikul (University of Tokyo) and Haitham Alkhalaf (Keio University)
16:10-16:15Break
16:15-17:15The Role of Higher Education in Implementing the SDGs
Panelists:
Dr. Robert Didham (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies), Prof. Wang Xin (Tongji University), Prof. William Chen Wei Ning (Nanyang Technological University), Prof. Michael Tan, Chancellor (University of the Philippines Diliman), and Mr. Mahesh Pradhan (UN Environmental Programme, International Environmental Technology Centre)
17:15-17:30Wrap-up and closing – Ways Forward
Prof. Yuji Suzuki (Board Chair for ProSPER.Net)