Â鶹AV

Japanese

On September 28, 2024, Â鶹AV¡¯s Higashi-Hiroshima Campus hosted the the 5th Sustainable Brands (SB) Student Ambassador Chugoku Regional Conference, one of the events in a high school student program related to the Sustainable Brands (SB) International Conference 2025. The event was organized by Sustainable Brands Japan (Hakuten Corporation) and co-hosted by Â鶹AV and Nippon Travel Agency Co., Ltd.

The SB Student Ambassador Program provides high school students interested in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the opportunity to learn directly from corporate leaders engaged in SDG initiatives. It also encourages students, as future leaders of the next generation, to use their creativity to develop new ideas and share their perspectives on achieving the SDGs. These fresh ideas are expected to contribute to companies integrating sustainability into their business strategies and enhancing their brand value.

This regional conference in the Chugoku region was one of nine preliminary conferences held across Japan to select high school students who will participate as SB Student Ambassadors in the 9th Sustainable Brands (SB) International Conference 2025 Tokyo?Marunouchi, scheduled for March 2025.

A total of approximately 170 students from 22 high schools across all five prefectures of the Chugoku region took part in the event. Through discussions and exchanges with companies on the theme of the SDGs, a set of global goals to be achieved by 2030, the program provided students with a valuable learning experience, inspiring new creativity and perspectives.

In a video message at the opening of the event, Â鶹AV President Mitsuo Ochi highlighted the university¡¯s achievements in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2024, a global university ranking that evaluates social contributions using the SDGs framework. Â鶹AV ranked 3rd in Japan for the third consecutive year and was listed among the top 100 universities worldwide in seven SDG categories, the highest number among Japanese universities. He emphasized that Â鶹AV¡¯s research and human resource development efforts are highly recognized on a global scale and expressed his hope that the participating high school students would have a fruitful and inspiring day.

Hironori Takagaki, Mayor of Higashihiroshima City, also delivered a message, highlighting that Higashihiroshima was the first city in the prefecture to be selected as an SDGs Future City. He spoke about the city¡¯s commitment to solving social challenges in collaboration with Â鶹AV and other academic institutions, as well as his expectations for the younger generation, who will shape the future.

In the afternoon, participants attended thematic lectures by representatives from companies that are well-known for their SDGs initiatives. Following the lectures, thematic workshops were held, where students discussed how to utilize the SDGs to create a sustainable society. The workshops were facilitated by Â鶹AV students, who acted as mentors to guide the discussions.

In the thematic workshops, four companies that sponsored this year's Chugoku Regional Conference¡ªIzumi Co., Ltd., FP Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation, and YKK AP Inc.¡ªgave presentations at the beginning of their respective sessions. The presentations focused on four key themes: ¢ÙRevitalization of Local Communities, ¢ÚResource Circulation, ¢ÛSolving Environmental, Human, and Social Issues, ¢ÜHousing and the Environment.

Following the presentations, the participating high school students were divided into groups and engaged in discussions based on these themes. From the perspective of Industry ¡Á SDGs, they explored ideas on what could be done and what they hoped would be done to realize a sustainable society. Each group then summarized and presented their proposals.

The high school students who participated in this event are expected to submit essays under the theme "Envisioning the Society (Community) We Aspire to and Exploring Ways to Drive Change Toward Its Realization."

Following the selection process, the chosen students will be invited to attend the "9th Sustainable Brands International Conference 2025 Tokyo?Marunouchi," scheduled for March 18¨C19, 2025, as Student Ambassadors.