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Ｑ: Tell us about your reason for joining the seminar.

I was interested in international issues and the SDGs, and wanted to continue my studies in graduate school after graduating from university, so I decided to attend this Seminar because I felt it would be a valuable opportunity to have discussions with people from various backgrounds.

Q. How did you feel about participating in the seminar?

The theme of the final presentation of my group, Group C, was "2050 Agenda: A Sustainable Ecosystem Built through Sustainable Responses.” In the subgroups, each member researched and gave presentations on the major themes of air pollution and acid rain, and discussed topics such as the connections between multiple issues, improvements in measures currently being taken, and contributions to the SDGs. By participating in this seminar, I strongly felt the link between environmental issues and our daily lives and economic activities. I also learned that these issues will become even more serious if we don’t take action. On the other hand, by learning about the problems that the world is currently facing, coming up with ideas to solve them, and taking responsibility for our own actions, we can get closer to making a sustainable society a reality.

Q. This was the first time the seminar was held online. What was your impression of the group work?

I felt that it was difficult to conduct group activities and wrap up conversations about one topic in a limited amount of time, although I don’t think that this is an issue exclusive to this seminar. Nevertheless, even though the sessions were online,  through group discussions, I was able to learn a lot about different ways of thinking and looking at problems. The subgroup I belonged to had a variety of members, from graduate students to undergraduate students, and I was also able to have conversations with them about their specializations, future goals, and other things besides the topic, which was very stimulating.

Ｑ: Tell us about your reason for joining the seminar.

I was interested in deriving important changes and solutions with regard to the climate crisis, and I thought this seminar would be a great opportunity to engage with like-minded students, so I joined the seminar.

Q. How did you feel about participating in the seminar?

Since it was difficult to have online discussions in a large group, my group, Group C, further divided the group into subgroups of six people each, for further research and discussion. I stood for the position of subgroup representative, and was involved in sharing information among the groups and preparing the final presentation. In the period between the second day and the presentation on the third day, we continued to hold daily group discussions, and sought advice from United Nations University professors in order to develop a proposal that was feasible. Thinking up and proposing viable solutions for complex global problems was a great experience. The seminar also made me realize that by having people with different backgrounds and values working together, it is possible for us to mitigate the climate crisis effectively.

Q. Do you have any advice for future participants?

The seminar is participation-based, and there’s a lot of work involved. It’s not easy, but the seminar is a great opportunity to learn useful information while interacting with instructors and students from various backgrounds, and to experience exercises where you tackle real-world problems.