ProSPER.Net E-Bulletin Issue 70 (November 2018)

Message from the ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Applications Open: 2019 ProSPER.Net Young Researchers’ School

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2019 ProSPER.Net Young Researchers' School (YRS), to be hosted by Universitas Gadjah Mada, from 3-12 March, 2019 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, under the theme ‘Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation’.

The YRS will give participants the opportunity to engage with issues related to Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) in the context of the tropics. Participants will also develop an understanding of the issues and problems related to hazards and disasters within the context of the UN 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The deadline is 11:59pm, Sunday 9th December, 2018 (Japan Standard Time). For more details, eligibility requirements, and to apply, please see the open call here.

2018 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme Explores Urban Sustainable Development in the City of Melbourne

The 2018 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme was held from 12-16 November in Melbourne, Australia, hosted by RMIT University, under the theme ‘Leadership for Urban Sustainable Development’.

Ten participants from across the Asia-Pacific region took part in the week-long programme, learning about the challenges and opportunities in urban sustainable development within the context of the United Nations’ New Urban Agenda, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing from examples of local leadership in Melbourne. Read more

Send Us Your News!

If you wish to contribute to the ProSPER.Net monthly bulletin or have news, upcoming events, or publications you would like to share, please complete this form and email it to the ProSPER.Net Secretariat (ProSPERNet@unu.edu) by the 15th of the month.

Sincerely,
ProSPER.Net Secretariat

Open Calls

Call for Abstracts: International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development

The International Symposium on ‘Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development’, to be held at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, from 7-8 March, 2019, is currently calling for abstracts. The objective of the International Symposium is ‘to inculcate the integration of the Natural Science and Social Science approach towards DRR and Sustainable development through [a] multidisciplinary higher education process.’

The event is an initiative of the ProSPER.Net project ‘Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development Education Network in Asia’, led by AIT (Thailand), along with partner universities Keio University (Japan), Universiti Sains Malaysia (Malaysia), and Miyagi University of Education (Japan).

The call for abstract submissions closes on 30 November, 2018. Thematic areas to be covered are:

• Disaster Risk, Education and Communication

• Sustainable Development and Resilience

• Disaster Risk Science and Engineering

• Trending Technologies in Natural Disaster Risk Reduction

• Disaster Data Science and Management

For more information, visit the website or view the brochure here.

Applications Open: 7th ASEF Rectors’ Conference and Students’ Forum

(Photo source: Asia-Europe Foundation)

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) and the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA) are co-organising the 7th ASEF Rectors' Conference and Students' Forum (#ARC7) titled ‘Higher Education Taking Action Towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Perspectives from Asia and Europe’ from 11-14 May, 2019 in Bucharest, Romania.

Applications are now open for student leaders to join #ARC7, which brings together 200 higher education leaders, rectors, policymakers, and fellow students from all 51 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Partner countries next year.

For further details and to apply, please visit the website here. The deadline for applications is Thursday, 29 November, 2018 (11.30am GMT).

Publications

UNESCO’s Commitment to Biodiversity - Connecting People and Nature for an Inspiring Future

This publication highlights some of UNESCO’s biodiversity-related actions and solutions that have been implemented, along with suggestions for improvement and innovation. The publication features a range of thematic challenges, comprising a section on UNESCO’s role in education, including the implementation of the Global Action Programme on ESD and its efforts in strengthening biodiversity education and learning. Access the publication here.

Japan Local SDGs Map

This project from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) takes a look at 17 projects taking place in Japan based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Okayama’s work on ESD. View the map here.

Cultural Change for Social Impact

This article, on the Impakter website, speaks about the importance of developing a culture around sustainable development to drive social impact, and in turn to overcome challenges in achieving the SDGs and 2030 targets. A number of examples of initiatives within Australia are discussed. Read more

Curriculum Development for Sustainability Education

This book, written by Mohammad Ali (ProSPER.Net Coordinator at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia) and published by UPI Press, aims to facilitate an understanding of what, why, and how to address the task of developing appropriate and relevant curricula for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainability education and its curriculum is discussed, followed by chapters on curriculum development; foundations, procedures, objectives, content, organisation, and evaluation. Download the publication here.

A Guide to SDG Interactions: From Science to Implementation

This report from the International Council for Science examines the interactions between the various SDGs and targets, determining to what extent they reinforce or conflict with each other, with a seven-point scale proposed to quantify these interactions. It also includes a detailed analysis of SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), discussing their interactions with other goals. Read more

SDG City Reports on Shimokawa, Toyama, and Kitakyushu

Jointly written by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), these reports demonstrate how three Japanese cities (Shimokawa, Toyama, and Kitakyushu) are driving action on the SDGs both in terms of policy and planning. Read more

IGES SDG Interlinkages Analysis & Visualisation Tool

(Photo source: IGES)

An updated version of the SDG Interlinkages Analysis & Visualisation Tool (V2.0) from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) was launched in July this year, allowing users to understand and visualise the interlinkages within and between the SDGs. Not only does this help users to understand how achieving one target may impact another target, it also helps to identify areas of synergies and trade-offs, as well as the differences between countries, and their progress and performance over time. Read more

Solutions – For Everyone, For Everybody

Released in 2015, the film ‘Tomorrow’ sought to ‘encourage local communities around the world to change the way they live for the sake of our planet’. The website for the film presents a series of everyday actions that individuals can take to make a difference, as well as collective and political actions. Read more

Living Planet Report 2018

Released every two years, WWF’s Living Planet Report is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the state of the health of the planet.

This twelfth edition, the Living Planet Report 2018, describes the ‘urgent need for a new global deal for nature and people with clear, ambitious goals, targets and metrics, to reverse the devastating trend of biodiversity loss currently impacting [the planet].’ 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 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