MESSAGE

Kobe University Declaration of actions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

　We are living with a range of regional and global issues that are having significant impacts on society, including climate change, natural disasters, infectious diseases, and conflicts. At the same time, we are facing new challenges brought about by rapid urbanization and aging societies that have become particularly evident in recent years. It is strongly recognized that coordinated global efforts by the international community are necessary to tackle the enormity of these pressing issues.

　In response to these global challenges, Kobe University has been fulfilling its responsibility as an institution of higher education by drawing upon its traditions and characteristics to promote advanced research that is not restricted by the boundaries of the humanities and the sciences, in addition to developing new academic fields, and producing human resources who will play a leading role in solving these issues.

　The United Nations held the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015 and adopted the 2030 Agenda ('Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development') as universal goals applicable not only to developing countries but also to developed countries including Japan. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda are designed to create a recycling-oriented, sustainable society in which no one is left behind. They aim to do this through educating people and creating new values based on science and technology. For these goals to be achieved, it is vital that not only universities but also various actors from different sectors (including the private sector) also participate in comprehensively and effectively implementing and furthering SDG-related efforts.

　In 2019, Kobe University announced that it is committed to sharing the principles of the SDGs in its collaborations with local communities and industries and will widely disseminate the results of these efforts both domestically and internationally. This is in order to promote SDG-targeted efforts across a wide range of fields throughout the university, utilizing the results obtained through interdisciplinary fusion and new academic fields that transcend the humanities and the sciences. In February 2020, we established the Office for Promoting SDGs, which is working to create new values and implement the university's knowledge into future society to solve social issues. With an eye to realizing a post-2030 'SDGs+beyond' society, we hope to accelerate the promotion of new research and development that will contribute towards attaining the SDGs and carbon neutrality by building the foundations for the multidisciplinary co-creation of research through collaboration with industry and local communities.

April 1st, 2021
FUJISAWA Masato
Kobe University President