Under the Makino Vision, Okayama University is making university-wide efforts to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) suggested by the United Nations as one of its focused initiatives. In handling the SDGs, we need to achieve common goals with diverse stakeholders, and as such, it is important to foster relationships across generations. Thus Okayama University is working on the SDGs with the younger generations, reflecting their various ideas and opinions on the university’s SDG activities. Recently, the nationwide project “SDGs Youth Project” designed by Mr. KOMURA Shunpei (Special Advisor to the President) to connect high school students with the SDGs, was launched with the involvement of the university’s Tokyo Office. The kickoff event was held in the Tokyo Office (Minato-ku, Tokyo) on April 17.

Thirty-four high school students from across the country participated in the event, this time focused on Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Mr. MORISHITA Yuichiro, a social activist, spoke as a guest. Being a former professional basketball player in the United States, he now travels around the world and is engaged in various activities to realize a peaceful society and promote regional revitalization. Referring to actual cases, he talked in front of high school students about what he felt and learned from his experiences. Professor KANO Mitsunobu, Vice Executive Director in charge of promoting Okayama University’s efforts to help achieve SDGs and other officials participated in the cross-generational discussion with high school students on what a peaceful society should be like, based on Mr. Morishita’s speech.