The Okayama region was certified as one of the world's first seven Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) on ESD by the United Nations University in June 2005. Realizing the need to enhance ESD activities as a higher education institution and the need to broaden ESD activities in cooperation with institutions involved in RCE Okayama, Okayama University emphasizes professional advice related to ESD and international collaboration from the standpoint of higher education institutions.

Okayama University submitted a request to establish the UNESCO Chair in Research and Education for Sustainable Development at Okayama University, which was approved by UNESCO in April 2007. The UNESCO Chair at Okayama University was established to promote projects related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).Okayama University promotes cooperation among higher education institutions in Japan and overseas by participating in the HESD Forum (a network of domestic higher education institutions for ESD) and ProSPER.Net (a network of universities in the Asia Pacific region for ESD).As an inaugural member of the Interuniversity Network Supporting the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPUnivNet), we support UNESCO Associated Schools and schools committed to ESD in Okayama Prefecture through the concerted efforts of the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate School of Environmental Science, Center for Teacher Education and Development, the UNESCO Chair at Okayama University, as well as other internal organizations.

Okayama University