On October 20, four invited speakers who were recruited by Okayama University to present at the 14th Global RCE Conference paid a courtesy visit to President Yasuto Nasu. The conference, held from October 21 to 23, was jointly organized by Okayama City, the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), and RCE Okayama (Okayama ESD Promotion Council).

The visiting speakers were Professor Rajani Naidoo, Vice-President of the University of Exeter (United Kingdom); Dr. Darla Deardorff of Stellenbosch University (Republic of South Africa); Mr. Ilan Enverga of UNESCO Youth; and Ms. Sofia Bermudez, Youth Ambassador of the Okayama University UNESCO Chair. From Okayama University, Vice President Atsufumi Yokoi (Global Engagement) and Yu Tsuha (University Global Administrator) were also in attendance.

The four speakers traveled to Japan to participate in the session organized by Okayama University at the RCE Conference titled “Planetary-centered Universities at the Ethical Turn: Advancing ESD beyond the SDGs for Human and Planetary Well-being.” From their diverse national, professional, and disciplinary perspectives, they will discuss the potential for universities to integrate sustainability and well-being into their core functions—including governance, research, curriculum, and community engagement—and to transform themselves into drivers of global and local change.

During the courtesy visit, discussions covered higher education systems in each country, including student self-governance structures, as well as comparative perspectives involving Japan. The participants also exchanged views on the importance of international collaborative learning and the evolving role of higher education in advancing social transformation. Active and engaging discussions are anticipated at the RCE Conference session.

About RCE
Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development are networks of organizations formally acknowledged by the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability to promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at the regional level. There are currently more than 200 RCEs worldwide. RCE Okayama was one of the first seven RCEs recognized in 2005.

About the 14th Global RCE Conference
The Global RCE Conference is held every two years and brings together RCE stakeholders from around the world to share achievements and discuss future directions of ESD. The conference is being held in Okayama City for the second time, following the UNESCO World Conference on ESD in 2014. It marks the first time in history that the Global RCE Conference has been hosted multiple times in the same city. The theme of this year’s conference is “Rethinking Learning for a Sustainable Future: 20 Years of RCE Action and Innovation.”