On 20 April, Kyoto University concluded a collaboration agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a global development organization headquartered in New York. UNDP is assisting some 170 countries with efforts to reach sustainable development goals (SDGs).
UNDP has a Representation Office in Tokyo, headed by director Tetsuo Kondo, and has been publishing a Japanese edition of the Human Development Report (HDR) since 1994. HDR, launched in 1990, addresses topics such as gender, climate change, disaster resilience, and migration, based on analyses of various data collected around the world.
The KU-UNDP partnership covers a wide range of collaborations, including information and publications exchange, speaker and lecturer exchange, internship programs, and joint seminars and symposia.
KU President Juichi Yamagiwa says that partnering with a UN organization that supports capacity development in developing countries is "of great significance" for Kyoto University, and that he anticipates the agreement to lead to diverse collaborative projects and personnel exchanges.
Director Kondo adds: "I expect this partnership will offer students more opportunities to learn about development issues and international cooperation, and contribute to the training of those who want to work for the international community."
Additionally, Professor Yosuke Yamashiki of the KU Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability (GSAIS, also known as Shishu-Kan) reported that, under the agreement, three GSAIS students will participate in internship programs at three different UNDP offices this year, and two of them have already begun training in East Timor and Cambodia.
Further collaborative projects are expected to be announced in coming months.
