The 30th Anniversary Conference of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme was held at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris, France, on November 3-4. Senior Vice President for Global Engagement Strategy, UNESCO Chairholder YOKOI Atsufumi and his colleagues were invited to the event.
　The UNESCO conference was held in a hybrid format, with more than 500 UNESCO Chairs from around the world, and officials from UNESCO, international organizations, national governments, universities, and research institutes participating in the conference. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, delivered the opening address and two days of plenary sessions, thematic sessions, and informal meetings, during which lively exchange of opinion took place about the achievements of UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs over the past 30 years and the future of cross-sectoral collaboration followed.
Senior Vice President YOKOI participated as a panelist in the second day’s “Future of Higher Education” session. Together with panelists from the United Nations, international organizations, and university representatives from each of the five continents, he engaged in lively discussions with participants on the role of universities in contributing to human and planetary well-being. The participants also attended an informal meeting of UNESCO Chairs on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), where MOROHASHI Jun, Director of the ESD Division at UNESCO Paris Headquarters, moderated the discussion on the future direction of UNESCO’s ESD initiative “ESD for 2030,” which aims to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
They also actively exchanged opinions while sharing about the University’s SDGs university management and global engagement strategies, initiatives, and strengthening partnerships.
　As a university that contributes “from the local community to the global community,” Okayama University will continue to promote sustainability and well-being together with its diverse stakeholders.

-UNITWIN (University Twinning)/UNESCO Chairs
This program aims to improve the capabilities of higher educational institutions and research institutes through the exchange and sharing of knowledge, and is approved by the UNESCO Headquarters. By promoting international cooperation and collaboration among higher educational institutions, this program aims to serve as a think tank for human and material resources and as a bridge between educational and research institutions, local communities, and policymakers. Currently, there are more than 850 UNESCO Chairs in over 110 countries, and the number is increasing year by year. In 2007, our university was authorized to establish the first UNESCO Chair in Asia on “Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).”

Reference
UNESCO Chair 30th Anniversary Conference