APRU SDG Education for Global Citizenship – Empowering Students for Inclusive Sustainability

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the 8th edition of APRU-IRIDeS Multi-Hazards Summer School had to be held virtually. Through a zoom platform, three sessions were held on July 15, 22, and 29 (JST). The event aimed to share the experiences and lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET), learn from the experiences in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and risk management from various stakeholders, and understand the latest international disaster science research conducted by the researchers globally. 842 people worldwide in total attended these sessions. The 2020 Multi-Hazards Summer School Themes Session I: Lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Session II: Role of various stakeholders in disaster risk reduction Session III: Latest research in disaster science To know more about the summer school 2020, please visit here.

Themed “INSPIRE: Next generation of innovators”, this exciting 10-day program enabled students from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds to develop the skills to provide innovative solutions to real problems of global relevance while gaining new perspectives of co-creation in a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural context.

This publication entitled “30 Innovations linking DRR with SDGs” is the second volume in the “30 Innovations” series, and includes an additional 30 innovations focusing on 10 sectors— Emergency response, Gender, Health, Agriculture, Water, Children, Education, Disabilities, Livelihood, and Early warning—to demonstrate the strong association between DRR and SDGs. These 10 sectors were selected following detailed discussions by a group of experts in DRR, taking into consideration the 17 SDGs. Similar to the first volume, another survey was conducted on the most effective DRR innovations, which received 200 responses from academia, governments, the private sector, NGOs, and international and regional organizations. The innovation that was selected as the most effective from the 30 listed items in this publication was “Ecosystem-based DRR” under the “Livelihood” section. The outcome shows that we should consider how to maintain or channel these existing ideas, instead of focusing on developing expensive new technologies that require complicated procedures to apply. A first volume “30 Innovations for Disaster Risk Reduction” was released at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction held in Geneva in May 2019. Find out more information here.

The New York Times-APRU Asia-Pacific Student Competition 2019 required students to write an 800-word policy brief to a leader in the Asia-Pacific region (government, philanthropy, business, NGO, etc.) discussing the threats to health from air pollution and to promote practical solutions. This booklet highlights the top-ten case submissions. Over one hundred students from 26 universities in 14 economies have submitted their entries. We wish to congratulate: the winning team of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Cherie Hiu Yu Leung and Veronica Qin Ting Li; the runners-up from the University of British Columbia, Candice Chan and Feifei Zhang; and, in third place, the team from Yale-NUS College, Ng Yi Ming, Lucy Kuo and Damon Lim Wei Da.

Themed in “Sahaya: Science and Arts Harnessing the Youth’s Advocacies”, ULP 2021 is hosted by the University of the Philippines (https://www.up.edu.ph) from 18 – 29 October 2021.   Sahaya means light and hope in the Tausug language of the Philippines, and we envision that through ULP 2021 youth leaders of the Asia-Pacific will uphold and embrace interdisciplinary, people-centered, and environmentally sustainable approaches and solutions to meet emerging challenges in the Asia-Pacific in an increasingly globalized world.   For more information about the program, please visit Undergraduate Leaders’ Program.   For more information about ULP 2021, please visit the event webpage and APRU-ULP.

Human Development Forum publishes A Better World Vol. 6 with APRU contribution Read the book now >> For your interest the APRU report starts here>> APRU is pleased to note that the Human Development Forum, an educational and research organization founded on close collaboration with UN agencies, UN member states, and civil sector organizations, has published the digital edition of A Better World Vol. 6. A Better World is a series of publications that dedicates each volume to one of the 17 SDGs. The new volume covers Goal 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. APRU’s contribution draws on the Pacific Ocean Program, featuring economy-specific analysis conducted by a team of experts from the University of British Columbia and the University of Washington on the ways that all SDG goals contribute or detract from SDG 14 throughout the Pacific. APRU recommends policymaking that analyzes the contribution that each individual SDG makes to others, as this could help prioritize SDG achievements while minimizing the chances of unrealistic expectations and avoidable side-effects. Indeed, APRU research illustrates the complexity of SDG achievements, including by demonstrating that eliminating poverty and hunger (SDGs 1 and 2) may delay the achievement of SDG 14 in the Pacific. “By focusing on the experience and livelihoods of people, especially those in vulnerable human habitats, the book shows the benefits of best policy and practices, and how these may develop further as we come to terms with a changing and more turbulent world,” said Sean Nicklin, the Human Development Forum’s General Coordinator. “This innovative endeavor is a striking example of sharing respective resources to engage the many official governmental, international organizations, institutions, and professional interests in displaying the extent and variety of their efforts to make the world a better place,” he added. A Better World Vol. 6’s key subjects are coral reefs; implementation of international law; mangroves; marine and coastal ecosystem management; marine pollution; scientific knowledge; sustainable blue economy; and sustainable fisheries. It contains fascinating contributions from researchers and organizations across the world. A number of the supporting agencies and institutions have asked to incorporate the book in their social media campaigns, including the contributing UN agencies. The Human Development Forum plans to publish the print volume in June 2020.

To know more about the APRU Climate Change Simulation, read an article here.

Please click here to learn more about the book Please click here to download the book flyer