2019.11.20

TUT posted a webpage to publicise our effort towards achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Toyohashi University of Technology (TUT) has declared its commitment to achieving SDGs through our education and research. The “Onishi Plan 2019”, announced by our president Dr. Onishi, stated that the University will strive to contribute to the achievement of SDGs, as a committed member of UNAI. As such we will attempt to tackle global issues such as poverty, food security and water scarcity, urbanisation, environmental degradation and climate change.

In October 2019, as a part of this campaign, TUT posted a new webpage on its university website to announce our commitment towards achieving SDGs.

TUT’s pledge regarding SDGs

https://www.tut.ac.jp/about/sdgs.html (Japanese only) 

  • Questionnaire for faculty members

The results of a questionnaire, which was distributed to all faculty members in May 2019, are publicised on the webpage. The goal of the survey was to grasp the current level of awareness of SDGs, and its related key issues. The results are intended to be utilised for future planning of the University’s approach to SDGs. 139 faculty members answered the questionnaire.

In the questionnaire they were asked; 1) “Amongst the 17 goals, which issue do you think you would be able to contribute to DIRECTLY through your research (single answer)?”, 2) “Amongst the amongst 17 goals, which issues do you think you would be able to contribute to INDIRECTLY or in the future through your research (multiple answer)?”.

As for question 1, the highest ranked answer was Goal 9: ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ with 47% of total answers, as one might expect from a science and engineering focused university such as TUT. For the second question, the top 3 ranked responses were, in order, Goal 9 (31%), Goal 4: Quality Education (24%) and Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing (23%).

Looking at the questions 1 and 2 collectively, there were positive responses across all 17 goals, which suggests that the education and research of TUT may help to contribute to the achievement of SDGs over a wide range of issues.

  

  • IGNITE Seminars

With the aim of raising awareness regarding SDGs amongst students and staff members, we organised 2 seminars in October 2019 (17th and 24th of October). The seminar series was titled as ‘Toward Sustainable Society –Theory and Practice of SDGs-’.

Flyer of IGNITE Seminar

The first seminar was titled ‘Understanding the essence of SDGs (theory and system of SDGs)’, in which the lecturer helped to review the fundamental points of SDGs.

In the second seminar, student representatives who attended SDG seminars and workshops, both within Japan and overseas, reported their findings and their future scope.

Some comments by participating students were as follows; ‘I didn’t know much about SDGs before, but now I can understand the basics’, ‘I would like to seek the way in which I myself can contribute to the achievement of SDGs’.

Photo 1: the first seminar

Photo 2: the second seminar

TUT will continue our efforts towards raising awareness of SDGs in the form of seminars and talks on campus. We also plan to organise a regional forum on SDGs in order to build and strengthen the network of important local actors.