ProSPER.Net E-bulletin Issue 116 (September 2022)

Message from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat
Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Greetings from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat! This month, we are excited to announce the open call for this year’s ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme, which will focus on net zero implementation strategies, towards achieving a decarbonised economy. Applications are open to young professionals working in the Asia-Pacific region – see below for further details!
 
For those wishing to apply to the ProSPER.Net Joint Research Projects for 2023-2024, the deadline is approaching, at the end of this month. Projects will need to be aimed at developing postgraduate-level courses that are aligned with the key competencies for the implementation and reinforcement of the Paris Agreement - further details are below!

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
Open Calls
Applications Open: 2022 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme
We are pleased to announce that the 2022 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme will be held from 5th – 8th and 16th December, 2022, in a virtual format, hosted by UNU-IAS. The theme of this year’s Leadership Programme is ‘Shifting to Net Zero: Implementation strategies for net-zero transitions’.
 
The ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme (LP) is an opportunity to bring young professionals and emerging leaders in academia, the public sector, the business community, and civil society together to explore how education and training can be used across sectors to foster more sustainable societies in the Asia-Pacific region.
 
Selected participants will attend a 5-day online training programme that will consist of lectures and workshops on a variety of topics related to strategies and policies for net zero implementation, and proven success factors and existing gaps towards achieving a decarbonised economy. Strategies to be discussed include energy efficiency, urban design, mass transit planning, and nature-based solutions such as reforestation and biodiversity conservation.

Details:
Dates: 5th – 8th December (inclusive) and 16th December, 2022 (5 days in total)
Location: Online, using the Zoom platform (participants are requested to ensure they have access to Zoom and a stable internet connection during the event dates).
Participation fee: Free
 
Selection criteria:
Participants will be selected on the basis of a written application, according to the following criteria:
  • Young professionals and emerging leaders from academic, public, private, and civil society sectors working in the Asia-Pacific region. All ages are eligible to apply but priority will be given to those aged 35 or under as of the application deadline (14 October, 2022)
  • High proficiency in written and spoken English language
  • An advanced understanding of sustainability, net zero emissions approaches or climate action, and its relevance to his/her own work
  • Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to work in a team environment
For more details including how to apply, view the open call here.
 
The deadline for applications is Friday 14 October, 2022, 11:59pm (Japan Standard Time).
 
Closing Soon: ProSPER.Net Joint Research Projects
There is still time to submit an application for the ProSPER.Net Joint Research Projects, with submissions closing at the end of this month. The Joint Research Project in 2023-2024 is aimed at developing postgraduate-level courses that are aligned with the key competencies for the implementation and reinforcement of the Paris Agreement. Its objectives are the following:
  1. To identify key competencies for the effective implementation and reinforcement of the Paris Agreement based on research and scientific literature; and
  2. To design postgraduate-level courses based on these identified competencies for co-implementation within (and beyond) the member institutions of the project proponent team.
Each joint research project proposal is to be prepared by a project proponent team, with at least three ProSPER.Net member institutions. Proposals are being accepted until Friday 30 September, 2022 (11:59pm JST). For more information on the guidelines and how to apply, view the open call here.
Closing Soon: 2022 RCE Youth Biodiversity Art Challenge
The Global RCE Service Centre at UNU-IAS, in partnership with UNESCO, is currently accepting submissions for the RCE Youth Biodiversity Art Challenge! The challenge is open to anyone aged 35 or younger worldwide.
 
We’re looking for creative works of art that put a spotlight on the species, habitats, and ecosystems that we need to work to protect.
 
Submissions can be made for any of the following categories, with a focus on SDG 14 (Life Below Water) or SDG 15 (Life on Land). Choose from:
  • Is your favourite animal or plant species under threat?
    • Show us one of your favourite animal or plant species which is currently under threat (e.g. Is its population/survival at risk? Are its habitats being endangered?)
    • Tell us how we can ensure we protect and restore this species – what actions can we take today in our communities?
  • How can we protect the habitats and ecosystems within our regions?
    • Show us one of your favourite places which is being impacted by biodiversity loss (e.g. a local national park, forest, beach, river).
    • Tell us why it needs to be protected, and what actions communities can take to conserve this place?
Further information, including submission guidelines and eligibility are available here. Entries close on 30 September, 2022 (11:59pm JST).
Applications Open: British Council Scotland SGSAH EARTH Scholarships 2023
The Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) EARTH Scholarships is a programme run by SGSAH with funding from the British Council, to enable international research collaborations between PhD and Early Career Researchers and Scottish HEIs and Scotland-based academic mentors, and external organisations. The programme will provide scholarships for PhD and Early Career Researchers based outside the UK to come to Scotland to undertake in-person and hybrid exchanges for up to 3 months in 2023, in the area of environmental arts and humanities. Read more
Upcoming Events
Save the Date: Launch of the ESD for 2030 Global Network
4 October, 2022, 14:30 – 17:30 CET, online

To support and accelerate the ESD for 2030 framework and Roadmap, UNESCO, with the generous support of the Government of Japan through its Japanese Funds-in-Trust (JFIT), is launching a new global network of education stakeholders - the ESD for 2030 Global Network (ESD-Net 2030). The network aims to become a platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration, mutual learning, advocacy and monitoring and evaluation among a wide range of stakeholders, including governmental agencies, civil society organisations, educators, youth, research institutions, UN partners, international development communities, among others.

To launch ESD-Net 2030 and its activities, UNESCO is organising an online webinar and workshop. The webinar will showcase several Member States’ efforts in developing and implementing ESD for 2030 Country Initiatives, followed by the first in a series of interactive workshops on ESD pedagogy. This first workshop will focus on the role of culture in promoting ESD at the community level. Register for the webinar here.
Latest News
Workshops Engage Youth to Safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage in Luang Prabang
On 20 August 2022, UNU-IAS launched the Youth Ambassadors’ Forum, a series of workshops on the topic of 'Building Community-centered Innovations to Promote Sustainable Development and Safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage'. The workshops are part of a UNU-IAS project aiming to enhance the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in Luang Prabang, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, using information and communications technology (ICT). They are being held from August to October 2022.
 
The first workshop (20–21 August 2022) engaged 27 youth ambassadors in training sessions on Luang Prabang cultural heritage, the importance of community-level ICH, and ICH safeguarding approaches and their linkages with the SDGs. Read more

(Photo credit: Lar Bounmy)
Session at Transforming Education Summit Highlights the Role of Higher Education for Climate Action
On 17 September 2022, UNU-IAS organised a session at the Transforming Education Summit (TES) during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in New York. Focusing on the role of universities in climate education and lifelong learning, the session explored how to bridge diverse sectors and stakeholders for a whole-society approach to mainstream climate education towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050. It was co-organised by UNU, the Ministry of Universities of Spain, the Ministry of Education of Bhutan, UNESCO, and the UNFCCC Secretariat. Read more
ESD Publications & Other
SRI2022 Now Open Access
The 2022 Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress (SRI2022) is now open access. Watch over 200 transdisciplinary sessions tackling some of the greatest sustainability challenges and highlighting new knowledge from all over the world, including a session from UNU-IAS on innovative solutions developed by RCEs to protect biodiversity. Sign up to watch all SRI2022 sessions here.
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 Website
ProSPER.Net Facebook
ProSPER.Net YouTube channel
ProSPER.Net Secretariat 
United Nations University 
Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability 
5-53-70 Jingumae, 
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925 
Japan