2018.10.29

NUT was appointed to a United Nations Academic Impact Hub for SDG 9

Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT) was appointed to a United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Hub for SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) by the United Nations as an exemplar of an innovative approach to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Only one university in the whole world is appointed as Hub for each of the 17 goals of SDGs and NUT is the only appointment from East Asia including Japan.
On October 24, celebrating the United Nation Day on the 73rd anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter, the UN Headquarters officially announced the appointment of the UNAI Hub for SDGs.

We have been actively working on the SDGs from early on, especially “building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation” based on the development of practical engineers. Achievements of our past activities such as the establishment of "GIGAKU SDG Institute" program in May this year have been highly appreciated, we received a request from the UN Headquarters to appoint us to the UNAI Hub in August. It is our honor to accept the request and declared that we are ready to contribute to SDGs.

Recognizing the honor and responsibility elected as the UNAI hub representing university of the whole world, NUT will lead an effort to make a more sustainable world, including a formulation of the foundation for industry, innovation and infrastructure.

 

[List of UNAI Hub for SDG]
SDG 1: No Poverty – Kristu Jayanti College (India)
SDG 2: Zero Hunger – University of Pretoria (South Africa)
SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being – New Giza University (Egypt)
SDG 4: Quality Education – University of La Punta (Argentina)
SDG 5: Gender Equality – Ahfad University for Women (Sudan)
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – University of Manitoba (Canada)
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (Pakistan)
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Nagaoka University of Technology (Japan)
SDG 10: Reduce Inequalities – Western Sydney University (Australia)
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Carlos III University of Madrid (Spain)
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
SDG 13: Climate Action – University of Zurich (Switzerland)
SDG 14: Life below Water – University of Bergen (Norway)
SDG 15: Life on Land – University of Zanjan (Iran)
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – De Montfort University (United Kingdom)
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – American University in Dubai (United Arab Emirates)

[UN Press release]
24 October 2018 – United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is pleased to announce our new SDG Hubs, UNAI members selected as exemplars for their innovative engagement related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Institutions have been designated for three-year renewable terms and will serve as resources for best practices for the UNAI network, currently composed of over 1,300 universities and colleges in some 140 Member States.

UNAI is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution.

Today, as the United Nations celebrates the 73rd anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, it is important to remember the critical role of academia in ensuring the well-being of mankind and the ideals pursued by this Organization since its founding in 1945. Universities are crucial to achieving the SDGs as they serve as incubators of new ideas, inventions and solutions and they raise awareness, educate and inform about the SDGs, on their campuses, in their communities and beyond.

“Scholarship does good. Students deliver goods. Nowhere has this combination worked more effectively, indeed dramatically, than in university engagement with the SDGs”, affirms Ramu Damodaran, Chief of UNAI. “Whether through research projects, innovative curriculum or campus activities, the global academic community has summoned its creativity and energy to devising practical ways in which the 2030 Agenda can be fulfilled in a manner that is inclusive, sustained and worthy of the Organization which gave it shape”, he noted.

UNAI members have been at the forefront of advancing the 2030 Agenda, and the following universities have been selected as the inaugural class of UNAI SDG Hubs for their innovation, dynamism and commitment to educating future generations about sustainability. In the coming weeks we will be profiling each of the schools and providing more information on their activities and research for their respective Sustainable Development Goals.