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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, are now approaching their target year of 2030. As the international community enters this critical phase, increased emphasis is being placed on translating commitment into concrete action and accelerating implementation. The 17 SDGs—aimed at ending poverty, protecting the global environment, and ensuring peace and prosperity for all—remain universal guiding principles that must continue to shape global and local efforts.

Today’s society faces a wide range of challenges, from regional concerns to global-scale issues, all of which exert profound impacts on our lives. Achieving sustainable and ethical ways of living requires addressing SDG-related challenges—such as those involving the natural environment, human rights, education, and socio-economic systems—through concrete actions embedded in our everyday activities.

To resolve complex societal issues involving diverse stakeholders while simultaneously promoting regional revitalization, integrated collaboration among industry, government, academia, and civil society is indispensable. In particular, the fusion of advanced technologies and innovative ideas cultivated at universities with the energy, creativity, and perspectives of younger generations, including students, serves as a powerful driver of social transformation. In February 2020, Kobe University established the SDGs Promotion Office to advance initiatives aligned with the SDGs. In recent years, however, the distinction between academic research and social co-creation has increasingly diminished. Universities are now expected not only to generate knowledge, but also to actively implement their research outcomes, human resources, and innovations in society through close collaboration among industry, government, and academia, thereby contributing directly to social development. 　　　　　　　　　　

In response to these evolving societal expectations, Kobe University has newly established the Institute for Academic Research and Co‑Creative Innovation, integrating relevant divisions into a unified operational framework. As part of this reorganization, the SDGs Promotion Office has been repositioned within the Institute’s Co‑Creation and Innovation Management Division, further strengthening its capacity for practical implementation. 　　　　　　　　　　

Under this enhanced structure, the SDGs Promotion Office will continue to serve as a vital hub linking academic knowledge and human capital to the resolution of SDG-related challenges. Through the promotion of interdisciplinary innovation, people-centered initiatives, and close collaboration with local communities and industry partners, Kobe University will actively disseminate its distinctive approaches to social implementation and societal contribution, both within Japan and internationally.

Hideyuki TSUJI
Deputy Director, Institute for Academic Research and Co‑Creative Innovation 　　　　　　　　　　
Deputy Director, Co‑Creation and Innovation Management Division 　　　　　　　　　　
In charge of the SDGs Promotion Office