At a training and forum for members and executives of Okayama Consumers’ Co-operative Union was held at Okayama Orga Hall on January 11, which was organized by the cooperative union, Ken Aoo, Vice Executive Director and Senior Assistant Professor of the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems at Okayama University delivered a lecture on the university’s efforts on SDGs.

Vice Executive Director Aoo, who serves as a member of the SDGs Initiatives Planning Committee, gave a lecture, titled “Making contributions to SDGs from Okayama to create harmonious partnership.” In his lecture, Aoo explained the principle and history of SDGs, achievements of our university’s commitment to promoting SDGs, and examples of SDGs in Okayama Prefecture, as well as the relevance and significance of consumers’ cooperative activities. He expressed his vision, saying, “Each organization should not allow its SDGs activities to end in self-satisfaction simply because they are engaging in activities as if SDGs were a mere fashion. It is important create a real change in society how any problem is solved or whether it has gotten closer to what it should be like. To that end, we need to develop an ‘ecosystem’ for the community, which will enable us to take concerted action with various sectors.”

Some of the about 50 participants asked a question on specific approaches to promoting SDGs.
Okayama University SDGs Promotion Headquarters will continue its efforts to encourage SDGs through activities like this relating to the establishment of partnerships with the local community and the international community.