Sweden-Japan Symposium on Sustainable Urban Development
UNU Rector Meets with Swedish Prime Minister
UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder (left) meets with Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt. Photos: Jeremy Hedley/UNU.
2008.04.17 • UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder met with Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt ahead of their delivering opening remarks at the joint Japan/Sweden Symposium on Sustainable Urban Development held at UNU.
From left: Konrad Osterwalder, Andreas Carlgren, Frederik Reinfeldt, Ichiro Kamoshita
Ichiro Kamoshita, Minister of the Environment of Japan, and Andreas Carlgren, Sweden's Minister for the Environment, joined the meeting. The two ministers delivered keynote speeches at the symposium, which examined issues of sustainability with regard to the growth of cities and transportation systems.
Others in attendance included Toshiro Kojima (Japan's Vice Minister for Global Environmental Affairs), Akira Nakajima (Ambassador to Sweden), Stefan Noreén (Ambassador to Japan), and Erik Hammarskjöld (Ambassador for the Environment). The prime minister was accompanied by his wife, Filippa Reinfeldt, Healthcare Commissioner for the County of Stockholm.
Saving the Ayuquila River
UNU is Finalist in Stockholm Challenge Award
2008.03.26 • The Saving the Ayuquila River video documentary and e-case study developed by the UNU Media Studio has been selected as a finalist in the Stockholm Challenge Award 2008. The awards cover information and communication technology projects with a development focus in six categories: public administration; culture; education; economic development; health; and environment. The UNU's work was entered in the environment category.
All projects are reviewed by an international jury of experts in information and communication technology, and only about 20 percent of the entries that make it to the jury round are selected as finalists. The best projects will win the prestigious Stockholm Challenge trophies and receive a 5,000 Euro stipend. Winners will be announced during a ceremony at Stockholm City Hall on May 22, 2008.
Peacebuilding from Asia to the World
The First Tokyo Peacebuilders Symposium & UNU Open Campus
Photo courtesy Harshad Sharma.
Minister Koumura's Keynote Speech
Building Peacebuilders for the Future (2008.03.24)
UNU Video Portal
On March 24 & 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and United Nations University will co-organize the first Tokyo Peacebuilders Symposium at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo. The focus will be on contributions to peacebuilding from an Asian perspective and on strengthening regional and global networks in this field.
On Monday, the focus of the symposium will be on “Peacebuilding Experience in Asia — Listening to Voices on the Ground” (Cambodia and Timor-Leste) and “Asian Contributions to Peacebuilding — Sharing Best Practices in the Field”. On Tuesday morning, the symposium will feature keynote speeches on “Promoting Asian Contribution to Global Peacebuilding” by Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan; Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General, ASEAN Secretariat; and Kenzo Oshima, Senior Vice-President, Japan International Cooperation Agency. These keynote speeches will be followed by a session on “Peacebuilding from Asia to the World — Next Steps”.
On Tuesday afternoon from 2:00 p.m. UNU will host a UNU Open Campus public outreach event in conjunction with the symposium. Activities include three public mini-symposiums: “The United Nations and Peacebuilding”; “Peacebuilding in South Sudan”; and “Peacebuilding With Your Words and Deeds in 90 Seconds” (simultaneous English–Japanese translation will be provided). There will also be career seminars, and other activities targeted at a young audience. For more information about these outreach events, see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
More information:
A Platform for Action in Africa and Asia
United Nations University to Host Water and Sanitation Symposium
Water Towers illustration by creativesam. Kindly made available under a Creative Commons license.
2008 is the International Year of Sanitation. The UN University is pleased to announce that it will host a major international symposium on water and sanitation this Friday, February 22. Organized by UNICEF, the Japan Water Forum, the World Bank, and UNDP, the symposium explores opportunities for action ahead of TICAD IV and the G8 Summit, both being held in Japan this year.
Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, will address the event, which convenes an international roster of experts to share and generate further insight into the challenges and opportunities facing Africa and Asia.
Water and sanitation are key areas of study for the UN University: our International Network on Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) seeks to provide applied science and capacity-building initiatives that enable water managers to better address both the root causes and current manifestations of the global water crisis.
The event will take place in the U Thant International Conference Hall at UN University Headquarters from 13:00 to 16:00. Simultaneous English/Japanese interpretation will be provided. For more information, contact tokyo@unicef.org.
Registration Form (PDF)
Free Online Access to Training Courses
UNU Launches OpenCourseWare Portal
Montage from photographs published under Creative Commons licences. See OCW Portal for details.
2008.02.04 • The United Nations University OpenCourseWare Portal makes course material used by the university's Research & Training Centres and Programmes available on the web free of charge to anyone. With the opening of the site, the UNU joins a select group of over one hundred leading universities from around the world committed to supporting the growth of free and open digital publication of high quality educational materials.
Initially the UNU OpenCourseWare Portal offers open access to about a dozen courses developed by three of the university's centres (in Canada, Macao, and the Netherlands) and the Tokyo-based UNU Media Studio. Expressing his support for this initiative, UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder said, "This signifies our commitment to broadening access to high-quality educational materials and will contribute to the United Nations University's core mission, which seeks to further the generation and sharing of knowledge in order to strengthen individual and institutional capacities to resolve pressing global problems."
The topics currently covered include e-governance, economic development and innovation, mangrove biodiversity and integrated watershed management. More courses are in production and in 2008, additional UNU units will participate in this initiative which promotes open sharing and global benefits for self-learners and educators.
New from UNU Press
Trafficking in Humans
Edited by Sally Cameron and Edward Newman
This volume aims to deepen understanding of the social, economic and political contexts of human trafficking: the recruitment and transportation of human beings through deception and coercion for the purposes of exploitation.
Download the UNU Press 2007-2008 catalogue
(1.8 MB PDF)
Global Seminar Series
UNU Global Seminars are held annually in Japan and abroad in an effort to increase awareness and enhance understanding of contemporary global issues and the role of the United Nations. This aim is achieved through close interaction of students and young professionals with scholars and experts working in the UNU's global networks.
International Courses
The UNU International Courses (UNU/IC) are organized annually for a select group of postgraduate students and professionals in various occupations in Japan and abroad who wish to pursue careers in international fields in public-service or private organizations
U Thant Lectures
The U Thant Distinguished Lecture Series is a forum through which eminent thinkers and world leaders speak on the role of the United Nations in addressing the challenges facing the world's peoples and nations in the twenty-first century.
UNU Library
The UNU Library plays a vital role in support of dissemination of the knowledge gained in UNU activities and assists learning and research through information resources.
UNU Video Portal
Tune in to UNU events as they happen, and on-demand. Recent additions to the UNU Video Portal:
- 7th Awarding Ceremony of International Certificate of Kids' ISO 14000 Programme
- Inaugural Meeting of UNU Capacity Development Alumni Association
- Zero Emissions Symposium 2007
Financial Assistance
The UNU Financial Assistance Programme is implemented by UNU with the generous assistance of the Government of Japan and JBIC which provides reimbursable funds to self-financed students from developing countries studying at junior colleges and universities in Japan.
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Page last modified 2008.05.07.
Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger
Achieve Universal Primary Education
Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Reduce Child Mortality
Improve Maternal Health
Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Develop a Global Partnership for Development