On December 13, the “2023 Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education Global Citizenship Education International Forum” was held by the Gyeongsangbuk-do Office of Education in Korea. Prof. YOKOI Atsufumi, Vice President for Global Engagement, was invited to speak as a representative of Japan. The conference aimed to discuss SDGs and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) with a particular focus on information exchange related to SDGs Goals 13, “Climate Action,” and Goal 15, “Life on Land,” targeting students, parents, and educators from educational institutions. The forum consisted of expert forums, student forums, and experiential activities.

Vice President Yokoi and Prof. Chung Utak, former Director of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), which Okayama University has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), participated in the International SDGs Expert Forum program. Under the theme “How to teach SDGs? In the cases of Japan and Korea,” they presented cases of SDGs education in Korea and Japan. During the panel discussion, Vice President Yokoi, Prof. Chung Utak, students from Gyeongsangbuk-do Science High School and Uzbekistan Ulkench School No.30, and a British teacher residing in Korea also engaged in conversations. Vice President Yokoi discussed the university’s efforts toward achieving SDGs and reported on the activities of the Okayama ESD Project, which received the UNESCO/Japan ESD Award, contributing to the discussion on the educational approaches supporting SDGs achievement.

Okayama University, through the initiatives and activities of its UNESCO Chair, aspires to co-create a desirable future for the Earth with diverse stakeholders, contributing to the overall well-being of the planet.

References:
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU)