On May 27, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosted the online UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks workshop. Okayama University UNESCO Chair was selected as one of 20 world’s most active UNESCO Chairs among more than 1,000 universities with UNESCO Chairs from 120 countries, and UNESCO Headquarters invited Okayama University UNESCO Chair holder, Vice President Prof. YOKOI Atsufumi (Global Engagement) to the online workshop.

The year 2024 will celebrate the centenary of the creation of the International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation (1924) – officially inaugurated in 1926 – UNESCO’s ancestor for international cooperation in research and scientific production. 2024 is also the year of the Summit of the Future, which will adopt the Pact for the Future, focusing on sustainable development and development financing, international peace and security, science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation, young people and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.

The 20 UNESCO Chairholders, including Vice President Yokoi, were carefully analyzed and selected by UNESCO Headquarters based on objective criteria (collaboration with UNESCO, international cooperation, themes covered in connection with education and SDGs, geographical distribution, UNESCO’s global priorities, and priority groups, etc.) and selected chairholders will collaborate to build an unprecedented future UNESCO program.

At the meeting, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, Stefania Giannini, gave the opening remarks, followed by the introduction of the 20 members of the World Commissioners. In the following discussion, Vice President Yokoi explained that Okayama University was the first UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Asia and how we received the Japan SDGs Award Special Award from the Japanese government. He also talked about how ESD and Global Citizenship Education (GCED) are being promoted in an integrated manner, and education initiatives, which are the foundation of all SDGs, are being developed through multi-stakeholder partnerships. Furthermore, we will provide opinions on the significance of global ethics and principles. In collaboration with the Earth Charter International Headquarters located at the United Nations University of Peace, Okayama University UNESCO Chair will promote integrated efforts on ESD and GCED, including the perspective of the Earth Charter, and aim to improve local and global society. Vice President Prof. Yokoi also discussed the significance of co-creating the future we want.

From now on, Vice President Prof. Yokoi will work together with Assistant Director-General Giannini and 20 of the world’s leading UNESCO Chair holders to build an unprecedented future UNESCO program concretely.