2022-2023

Table of Contents

President’s Message… ………………………………………………………………

01

Message from the Director of
the Office of Sustainability Promotion… ………………………………………

02

Sophia School Corporation Declaration on Promoting Sustainability… …

03

SACRU (The Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities)… …

06

Sophia University × United Nations… …………………………………………

14

Responsible and SDGs-related Investments… ………………………………

18

Responsible Investment Approach（Climate Change Issues)… …………

20

Environmental Footprint of Sophia School Corporation(Higher Education Division)………………………………………………………

25

SPSF (Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures)………………………………

28

Sophia University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies(GENV)……………………………………………………………………………………

30

THE Impact Rankings 2023…………………………………………………………

31

Initiatives of the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion………………

40

Efforts for SDGs… ……………………………………………………………………
GOAL 1: NO POVERTY………………………………………………………………

53

54
GOAL 2: ZERO HUNGER…………………………………………………………… 55
GOAL 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING… ……………………………… 58
GOAL 4: QUALITY EDUCATION… ……………………………………………… 62
GOAL 5: GENDER EQUALITY……………………………………………………… 67
GOAL 6: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION… ……………………………… 72
GOAL 7: AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY………………………………… 76
GOAL 8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH… ………………… 79
GOAL 9: INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE… ………… 81
GOAL10: REDUCED INEQUALITIES… …………………………………………… 82
GOAL11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES… …………………… 84
GOAL12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION…………… 85
GOAL13: CLIMATE ACTION… …………………………………………………… 88
GOAL14: LIFE BELOW WATER… ………………………………………………… 91
GOAL15: LIFE ON LAND… ………………………………………………………… 94
GOAL16: PEACE, JUSTICE, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS………………… 95
GOAL17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS… ………………………………… 100

President’s Message

Yoshiaki Terumichi,
President, Sophia University
As society accelerates its efforts toachieve sustainability, the way weview sustainability also seems to
be diversifying. We talk about thesustainability of the Earth, humansociety, organizations, as well as individuals. When you give this careful thought,
it is not too much to say that we are already moribund, given that we need to
discuss the sustainability of our planet and of human society. If we cannot makesustainability definitive, it will mark the“end”. The end of what? --The“Earth”,
human society, organizations, or individuals? Human response to this urgent
situation, from which we are tempted to turn our eyes away and cover our ears, is
too slow. Indeed, our awareness has changed. However, what we need to change
is the outcome, and if we continue to be unsure about the consequences, the“end”
will, after all, come.
Now let us look again at sustainability. Would it be correct to say that “theglobal environment will recover from its critical state, and human society will besustained?”We tend to think that the recovery of the global environment is key tothe sustainability of human society. However, the sustainability of human society
does not depend on the global environment alone. Intensive discussion and effort
are needed to create a“sustainable society”in which people from all walks of life
can live in comfort. Human society must be sustainable in terms of both the global
environment that envelops it and social justice. Today, there is a loud call forsustainability; however, I feel that we have not yet acknowledged the magnitudeof the challenge we face, given that the sustainability of global society (>humansociety) must be achieved from both aspects.
Sophia University’s sustainability efforts have maintained a strong awareness ofboth aspects. Of course, at present, we have yet to achieve our goals. However,
we are confident that by continuing our efforts with an awareness of both aspects,
we will be able to make significant progress and accelerate our efforts in the near
future. The challenge is to reach that“near future”as soon as possible. I hopethat all members of Sophia University, including students, staff, and faculty, will
incessantly take the next step and then continue taking further steps forward, sothat we can show the world Sophia Quality in a campus rich in sustainability.

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Message from the Director of
the Office of Sustainability Promotion
Juro Otsuka,
Director, Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion
Trustee for General Affairs
The “SDGs & Sustainability Report” presents theoutcomes of Sophia University’s efforts in conducting
research and education, as well as taking social action
on issues of immediate and global concern, to sharethem widely within and beyond the University, and to
confirm the future direction of Sophia University. Eachof the initiatives described in this report can be found to reflect at least one of thefollowing three perspectives:
The first perspective is“Others”. This term, which is found in Sophia University’seducational philosophy“For Others, With Others,”was used in a speech delivered
by Father Pedro Arrupe, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, in 1973 at analumni convention of Jesuit Schools. This year marks exactly 50 years since then.
Father Arrupe stated that the goal of Jesuit schools is to nurture“Men for Others,”
and that Jesuit education must respond to the demands of the world’s call forjustice. This attitude of seeking justice and fairness with a focus on“Others,”that is,
the poor, the marginalized, and those whose human dignity has been violated, is anapproach that Sophia University, as a Jesuit school, has inherited from its past.
The second perspective is“the self”. This means thinking about what our social
responsibility is today. We are urged to have ownership of the various social
issues that are occurring around us, such as environmental destruction, poverty,social disparities, etc., and to transform our mindsets to address these challenges
as our own. Each of the schools established by Sophia School Corporation offers
education for this purpose and continues to pursue research and social action
based on this sense of ownership. You will see that the work of Sophia University’sstudent employees, who have been receiving attention from both within andoutside the university, as well as the concrete efforts of faculty, staff, and students,
foster this kind of mindset or have emerged from it.
The third perspective is “future generations”. We look out to the future andask ourselves how we can live today for the future. By pursuing research andeducation and engaging in social action today, we are investing in the future. Thisis associated with the Jesuit spirit of Magis (not being satisfied with the status quoand striving for something better). Sophia University has launched a new LongRange Plan (Grand Layout 3.0), which also states our commitment to creating asustainable future. We aim to achieve our goals in 2030, the same target year as
the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, eight years is a shortperiod of time. Yet, there is no end to Magis, which seeks to strive for the better.

02

We hope to continue to possess these perspectives and contribute to creating abetter future.

Sophia School Corporation Declaration
on Promoting Sustainability
Sophia School Corporation has been committed to human education based on“Christian Humanism”, where each student, faculty and staff mutually recognizes
the dignity of the human personality and basic human rights, and aims to be a
person who serves the development of the world with responsible behavior anda humble spirit. Never taking a bystander attitude, each school is committed tonurturing individuals who strive to solve global-scale problems through dialogue.
When Pope Francis visited Sophia University in 2015, he delivered the message
that in the spirit of his encyclical, Laudato Si’,“this university should be a center

not only of intellectual formation, but also a place where a better society and amore hope-filled future can take shape”and that“love for nature should here findexpression in a sapient and foresighted concern for the protection of the earth, ourcommon home .”Committed to the educational spirit of“For Others, With Others”
and the seven goals presented in Laudato Si’, Sophia School Corporation willcontribute to solving social issues, creating value, and protecting and preserving
the environment through its research and education activities.
Sophia University has signed its commitment to Pope Francis’“7-Year Journey
Towards Integral Ecology”. In order to achieve the goals of Laudato Si’, membersof signatory universities are expected to learn, practice, and share, with the broad
participation of students, faculty, staff, and all relevant stakeholders.

Laudato Si' Goals - LSGs
Measuring Integral Ecology in the spirit of Laudato Si'
1. Response to the Cry of the Earth (greater use of clean renewable energy andreducing fossil fuels in order to achieve carbon neutrality, efforts to protect andpromote biodiversity, guaranteeing access to clean water for all, etc.)
2. R esponse to the Cry of the Poor (defence of human life from conception todeath and all forms of life on Earth, with special attention to vulnerable groups
such as indigenous communities, migrants, children at risk through slavery, etc.)
3. Ecological Economics (sustainable production, Fair-trade, ethical consumption,
ethical investments, divestment from fossil fuels and any economic activity
harmful to the planet and the people, investment in renewable energy, etc.)
4. Adoption of Simple Lifestyles (sobriety in the use of resources and energy, avoid
single use plastic, adopt a more plant-based diet and reduce meat consumption,
greater use of public transport and avoid polluting modes of transportation, etc.)
5. E cological   Education (re-think and re-design educational curricula andSophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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educational institution reform in the spirit of integral ecology to create
ecological awareness and action, promoting the ecological vocation of young
people, teachers and leaders of education etc.)
6. Ecological Spirituality (recover a religious vision of God’s creation, encourage
greater contact with the natural world in a spirit of wonder, praise, joy andgratitude, promote creation-centred liturgical celebrations, develop ecologicalcatechesis, prayer, retreats, formation, etc.)
7. E mphasis on Community involvement and participatory action to care forcreation at the local, regional, national and international levels (promoteadvocacy and people’s campaigns, encourage rootedness in local territory andneighbourhood ecosystems, etc.)
https://www.laudatosi.org/laudato-si/laudato-si-goals/

In order to advance the contents of the Declaration in more concrete terms,
we have identified 10 key issues related to Environment (E), Society (S) and
Governance (G) to be addressed with priority, and formulated an Action
Declaration for each key issue:
We will endeavor to reduce our environmental impact and realize a recyclingoriented society.

04E-1 Achieve carbon neutrality by 2030
E-2 C ontribute to the creation of a recycling-oriented society by promoting the
5Rs *1E-3 Develop a nature-inclusive campus / create a greener campus environment
We will engage in creating an environment where we can all learn and work
together in safety and comfort.
S-1 Create a rich discrimination-free educational environment
S-2 Realize“well-being”through DEI&B promotion *2
S-3 P romote barrier-free universal design (UD): A safe and secure campus thatwelcomes everyone to gather and learn
S-4 Practice education support that is present with others and future-oriented
We will pursue initiatives to promote sustainability through collaboration among
students, faculty, and staff, as well as with society.
G-1 P ractice research and education that will leadto a sustainable futureG-2 P romote sustainability in collaboration withlocal community and society
G-3 Contribute to solving social issues through ESG
and sustainable investment
G-4 Create a rich campus through enhanced student
engagement【Glossary】*１ 5Rs: Actions to create a recycling-oriented society, expanding on the“3Rs”(Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to include other actions such as Renewable and Refuse.
*２ DEI&B: Acronym for“Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging”

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SACRU (The Strategic Alliance of 
Catholic Research Universities)
The Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities(SACRU) is a global network of Catholic research
universities dedicated to research and teachingexcellence, engagement and global collaboration
informed by Catholic social teaching. Advancing world leading knowledge andhigher education for the common good through SACRU collaborations will be themission of SACRU. The vision of SACRU will be to reinforce the link between faithand reason in the digital age, enhance research for the common good, promote
global education, develop digital transformation, accelerate interdisciplinarity in
education and research, and contribute to knowledge and technological transfer
through various global academic engagement activities and initiatives. The faculty
members of Sophia University have actively engaged in the various academic
engagement and publishing activities across academic disciplines.
Australian Catholic University(Australia)

Boston College(USA)

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile(Chile)Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro(Brazil)

Sophia University(Japan)Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa(Portugal)

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore(Italy)Universitat Ramon Llull(Spain）

https://www.sacru-alliance.net/

SACRU and Sophia
Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Education, Maria Manzon,
Associate Professor
SACRU research activity is focused on challenging topics with a high impact onsociety and academic reputation. Research collaboration across SACRU universities
is promoted, facilitated and encouraged through transdisciplinary Working Groups.
To date, there are seven Working Groups, namely:
1)Vulnerability and Health Care;
2)Catholic Identity and Laudato Si’: The Common Home and Social Justice;3)Internationalization and the Inter-University Digital Campus;4)Family Life;
5)Artificial Intelligence, Agency and the Human Person;
6)Best Science for a Nourished Planet; and7)Gender Equity in the University.
Sophia University actively participates in SACRU and some faculty members
06

contribute to its various Working Groups.
This article will introduce the report“Laudato Si’in Action within SACRU”(SACRU,
2023), which showcases initiatives across SACRU universities to integrate Laudato
Si’in their education, research, campus life and public outreach. The report is acollaborative effort of Working Group 2 (WG2) – Catholic Identity and Laudato Si’:
The Common Home and Social Justice – and their university community members.
WG2 reflects on the Catholic identity of SACRU universities, of which the principlesof Laudato Si’(LS) to care for the Common Home and its inhabitants is one
dimension.
Concretely, WG2’s aims are three-fold:
1.Create evidence on how Laudato Si’is integrated in our campus life.
2.Strengthen the role of our universities in research and public engagement, thus
promoting Laudato Si’principles outside the university.
3.Establish a dialogue with secular universities.
The Laudato Si’SACRU report (2023) is an initial response to WG2’s first aim.
Prior to discussing the report, we briefly introduce Laudato Si’, its relevance tosustainability, and some responses from Sophia.

Laudato Si’and Sophia
In 2015, Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home , asocial encyclical addressed to all global citizens – Catholic believers or not – tourgently appeal“to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable
and integral development”(LS, no.13), in order“to address the ecological crisesthat affect all people, but most especially the poor”(SACRU, 2023: 18). The Popeemphasized that“Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth
is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone”(LS, no.93). He thus calls for ecological education to establish a new covenant
between humanity and  the natural world (LS, no. 209).
Laudato Si’offers a profound explanation of the roots of our socio-ecologicalcrises, including climate change, pollution, fresh water distribution, biodiversity
loss, the decline in the quality of human life and society, and inequality. The
roots of the crises lie in “our throwaway culture, technocratic paradigms,
compulsive consumerism, and misguided anthropocentrism”(SACRU, 2023: 18).
In turn, Pope Francis proposes an “Integral Ecological lens to understand theinterconnectedness between people, policies, and the environment, a dialogue
on new economic policies at every scale of government, and improved dialogue
between religion and science. Ultimately Laudato Si’calls for a deep and lasting
ecological conversion within each of us to live in balance with our ecosystemand our neighbors”(SACRU 2023: 18). In this regard, Catholic universities play animportant role in fostering the ecological conversion of its students, faculty andstaff, and the wider communities which they serve. Pope Francis thus dedicates anentire chapter to ecological education and spirituality. It commences as follows:
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Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who
need to change. We lack an awareness of our common origin, of our mutual
belonging, and of a future to be shared with everyone. This basic awarenesswould enable the development of new convictions, attitudes and forms oflife. A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us,
and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal (LS, no. 202).
During his visit to Sophia University in November 2019, Pope Francis encouraged
the Sophia community to promote a new“episteme”of a“more humane, morejust and ecologically responsible education”. Among the various initiatives in thisdirection was the establishment of the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion
Office in 2020. It gave a renewed impetus to the sustainability dimension inteaching and learning, research, and campus life, by counting on student staff toencourage faculty, staff, and students to share ideas across disciplines and create
new value. It also has a dedicated website as a communication platform that
integrates all sustainability-related initiatives at Sophia.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/

Another initiative was an Innovation Grant funded teacher-staff collaborative
research project entitled “Collaborating towards an ecologically responsible
education at Sophia” (2020/21) undertaken by Maria Manzon (Education),
Michael Polito (then with CGED), Midori Nakajima (Academic Affairs), and Mayuko
Sakura and Christian Mukadi (Catholic Jesuit Center). The project aimed toobtain baseline knowledge of Sophia faculty members’engagement with global
sustainability issues and Laudato Si’through their teaching, research, campus
life, and public outreach, and identify areas for improvement. In October 2021,
they conducted an online survey of full-time faculty members followed up by
focused group discussions. Student helpers also assisted in data collection onsustainability-related courses, research, and student clubs. Relevant information
was included in the Laudato Si’SACRU Report (2023) described below.

08Laudato Si’SACRU Report
In order to answer the call of Pope Francis for a profoundecological conversion through education, the SACRU
Working Group 2 (WG2) conducted a preliminary internal
assessment of its universities identifying how Laudato Si’
is integrated in its education, research, campus life andpublic outreach activities. In January 2023, it published the
Laudato Si’in Action within SACRU, which showcases in 92
pages current campus initiatives that are being developed
across SACRU universities.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3491/

This document also presents the series of webinars that were developed jointly
combining efforts across the 8 universities of SACRU. A copy of the report washanded personally to Pope Francis by Sophia’s Professor Miki Sugimura last March2023 during a private audience at the Vatican for participants in the conference“More Women’s Leadership for a Better World. Care as a Driver for our Common
Home”co-organized by SACRU and Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation.
Data for this report originated from the contributions of members of the SACRU
WG2 and their colleagues at their respective institutions who provided informationon academic programs, courses, research, campus life and public outreach fortheir universities. SACRU WG2 is currently developing a survey which will be
distributes to administrators, faculty, staff and student organization leaders of each
SACRU institution to capture more detailed information about the different ways
member universities are engaging with Laudato Si’.
The goal of this research report is to participate in the global dialogue on integral
ecology, socially just economic policies, and the common good by illustrating
examples of how SACRU universities put into action the principles of LaudatoSi’. Individually each university can do more to engage with Laudato Si’andcollectively we can learn from each another to advance this dialogue and action tobuild a path towards care of our common home and intragenerational social andecological justice (SACRU 2023: 19). We hope that this report will serve to inspire
the Sophia community on the ways in which Laudato Si’can introduce a deeper
discourse and an integral approach to an ecologically responsible education forsustainable futures.

References
Pope Francis (2015). Encyclical letter Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home.
Vatican.
SACRU (2023). Laudato Si in Action within SACRU. Strategic Alliance of Catholic
Research Universities.

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The Ignatian Year
The Society of Jesus established an Ignatian Year
(May 20, 2021 to July 31, 2022) to commemorate
the 500th anniversary of the conversion of St.
Ignatius of Loyola, one of its founders, as herecovered from an injury gained during the Battle of Pamplona. It is an opportunity
for the Ignatian family, which includes all members of the Jesuits from all over theworld, to use the life, spirit, and spiritual teachings of St. Ignatius to experience
an ongoing conversion so that they can“see all things new in Christ.”The Sophia
School Corporation Catholic Jesuit Center, which is linked to the Jesuits missions,carried out various activities, including holding a Mass commemorating the
Ignatian Year (July 31), launching the St. Ignatious Channel on the center’s official
YouTube channel, publishing a booklet titled The Life and Spirit of St. Ignatius,
holding the commemorative exhibitions Walking Together With St. Ignatius (Building
No. 2, 1F) and The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius (Building No. 6, 1F), holding
the commemorative symposium Seeing Things Anew in Christ – The Conversionof St. Ignatius of Loyola and Its Meaning for Modern Times (October 9, hosted
by the Faculty of Theology) with Professor José García de Castro Valdés ofComillas Pontifical University as lecturer, organizing a spiritual retreat for students,
and participating in an Ignatian Year Film Contest hosted by the International
Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) and the Association of Jesuit Collegesand Universities in Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP). In addition to this, it also createdcommemorative goods, including prayer cards, guidebooks and tote bags.

International Symposium“SOPHIA IGNATIAN YEAR SYMPOSIUM”washeld
The period from May 20, 2021 to July 31, 2022 hasbeen designated as the“Year of Ignatius”with events
celebrating the Ignatian Year throughout the world.
On July 5, SOPHIA IGNATIAN YEAR SYMPOSIUM washeld at our university, an international symposiumon the theme of SDGs, in collaboration with Jesuit
universities throughout East and Southeast Asia.
The participants included the president of The
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in
Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP), as well as the team consistedof the presidents, vice presidents, and students
from Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), FuJen Catholic University (Taiwan), Sanata Dharma
University (Indonesia), Sogang University (South Korea), and Sophia University(Japan). The venue took place at the auditorium of Building No. 10 on the Yotsuya
Campus, with participants from overseas and outside participating via online public
viewing format.
10The symposium opened with welcome remarks delivered by Trustee for Global
Academic Affairs, Professor John Joseph Puthenkalam, Director of Global Affairs,
and Dr. Tsutomu Sakuma, Chancellor of Sophia University, both of whom hoped
this valuable opportunity would provide an opportunity for mutual collaboration
among the Jesuit universities and for learning more about each other’s activities.
The first part of the symposium, consisting of two sessions, was moderated byVice President for Global Academic affairs, Professor Tetsuro Morishita withpresentations made by the presidents of the AJCU-AP and representatives of otheruniversities. From Sophia, President Yoshiaki Terumichi gave a presentation titled“Sophia University and Sustainability”, to introduce the activities of the Office ofSophia Sustainability Promotion established in 2021 in response to Pope Francis’
encyclical “Laudato Si’” on the theme of the environment, as well as related
research institutes and other related activities at the University.

The second part of the program was conducted as a student session. Moderated
by FLA Professor Takeshi Ito, student teams from each university gave an eightminute presentation on their respective activities. They introduced their uniquelearning experiences, and activities related to indigenous communities, sustainableapproaches to climate change, and their day-to-day small efforts. Our student
team presented their recent activities as KASA Sustainability, which included acampus vegetable garden and the creation of a map to show locations on campus
where sustainable services are provided. In the latter half of the program, a lively
discussion unfolded, with participants sharing the challenges associated with SDG
promotion activities on their campuses and Q&A sessions for universities that are
engaged in unique initiatives.
In the end, the participants exchanged contact information. The three-hour
symposium ended with a promise to share updates on their activities in the future.

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12

School Corporation・
University-wide Initiatives

Sophia University × United Nations

Sophia University United Nations Weeks
Sophia University UN Weeks, started in 2014 based on the idea
“to consider the world and our future through the work of theUN,”is now approaching its 20th anniversary. We plan many
events both in person and online in a HyFlex format in order toreach out to a wider audience.
We will welcome a diverse group of internationally renowned
guests to cover a broad range of topics, including AI,
humanitarian aid, education, as well as the environment. Highschool / college students as well as working adults are welcome
to join anytime that works the best.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/aboutsophia/global/weeks/unweeks/

Sophia University United Nations Weeks October 2022 (October 11 to 26)
Sophia UN Weeks started in 2014 to consider our world and future throughthe work of the UN. We are pleased to announce that the 18th UN Weeks will
be hosted online with our hope to make the event more accessible to a wider
audience (some events limited to Sophia University community members).
The topics to be discussed are significant global issues surrounding Ukraine andAfghanistan, as well as humanitarian support, the SDGs, and more. Join us as webring the world closer together with a diverse range of guests working on the front
lines of international organizations. Career seminars and sessions are also highly
recommended for those who are interested in working for international organizations.
●October 11

Symposium“Impact of Economic Sanctions: The cases of the European Union (EU) and the United
Nations (UN)”●O c t o b e r 1 2

Symposium “Humanitarian Crisis andSupport for Afghanistan: Agriculture, Private Sectors, andEconomy”●October 17 UNDP/UNV Career Seminar“United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations
Volunteers (UNV) Programme: Their Role and Career Paths”●O ctober 18

Symposium “Interlinkages between Paris

Agreement and SDGs : Global and Local Initiatives”●October 22

Symposium“How Can We End the War in Ukraine?”●O ctober 26

Symposium “Ukraine Refugee Crisis and the Future of Global

Governance for Refugee Protection – A Conversation with the UNHCR members –”https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/aboutsophia/global/weeks/unweeks/unweeks-202210/
14

Sophia University United Nations Weeks June 2023 (June 1 to 24)
Sophia University’s UN Weeks, launched in 2014
with the concept of “Thinking about the world
and our future through the works of the United
Nations,”is now in its 19th round. After the online
holding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thisyear’s event has greatly increased the numberof high-flex events, in-person as well as online.
We have prepared 8 events with a wide range ofthemes for high school and college students aswell as working adults. We look forward to yourattendance.
●June 3
（Sat.）
15：00～17：00   ＜Hyflex＞
Symposium: “Peace!” from NAGASAKI to theWorld -Message from Dr. Takashi Nagai,
A-bomb survivor, and his wife Midori●June 8（Thu.）
18：00～19：30   ＜Hyflex＞
Symposium: Midpoint Review of Progress in SDGs and Further Challenges●June 14
（Wed.）
18：00～21：00   ＜Hyflex＞
Symposium: How can Japan, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the United Nations work together toadvance their support for Afghanistan?
●June 23
（Fri.）
18：00～19：30   ＜Hyflex＞
Panel Session: Youth Recommendations for the Future of Peace in Northeast Asia
●June 24
（Sat.）
15：30～17：30   ＜Hyflex＞
Symposium: Learning Community towards Sustainable Futures
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/aboutsophia/global/weeks/unweeks/unweeks-202306/

Sophia University United Nations Weeks October 2023 (October 7 to 24)
Sophia University UN Weeks, started in 2014 basedon the idea “to consider the world and our future
through the work of the UN,” is now approaching its
20th anniversary. We plan many events both in person
and online in a HyFlex format in order to reach out to awider audience. We will welcomed a diverse group ofinternationally renowned guests to cover a broad rangeof topics, including AI, humanitarian aid, education, as
well as the environment. High school / college students
as well as working adults are welcome to join anytime
that works the best.

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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●October 7  (Sat) 17：30～19：00＜HyFlex＞
Symposium“Life of Palestine Refugee Students in the Gaza Strip: Japan-UNRWA
70th Anniversary of Partnership”●October 10 (Tue) 18:00-19:30 ＜HyFlex＞
Lecture“Special Talk Session with Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United
Nations University (Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations)●October 21 (Sat) 17:00-19:00 ＜HyFlex＞
Symposium “Exploring the New Direction of Equity and Inclusion towards
Transforming Education”●October 23 (Mon) 15:00-17:00 ＜Online＞
Symposium“Transforming global food system for revitalizing actions for SDGs”●October 24 (Tue) 18:00-19:30 ＜HyFlex＞
Symposium“The Role of the United Nations in East Timor”●[Post Event] November 11 (Sat) 13:30-16:30 ＜HyFlex＞
Symposium “Where is Japan’s official development assistance heading?-In
response to the revision of the Development Cooperation Charter”
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/article/news/announcement/unweeksoctober2023_en/

Sophia University Africa Weeks 2023 (May 15 – May 29, 2023)
Sophia University will hold “Africa Weeks” as an initiative
to promote understanding of the African region and deepen
cooperation together with those who are deeply involved
there. We offer a variety of programs such as lectures,symposiums, and student projects.
Program (May 15 – May 29, 2023)●M ay 15

Building Schools in Slums in Africa – Smiles ofChildren Sparkle of Life●May 20

Youth Conference Let’s Talk with Researchers from African Regions●May 22

Do you know Lesotho, the Kingdom of the Sky?

●May 23

Making Prosthetic Legs in Rwanda – Working Toward Restoration●May 25

Introducing Sophia University Africa Studies[Student Projects](1)African Workship – Africa Seen Through Coffee (May 26)(2)Magazine Project(3)Library Exhibit (May 15-June 23)
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/aboutsophia/global/weeks/africa-weeks/

16United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact (hereafter UNGC) wasannounced by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in an
address to the World Economic Forum in 1999, and wasofficially launched at UN Headquarters in New York City
on 26 July 2000. It is an international framework underwhich business sectors and non-business organizations are
expected to take responsible and creative leads for thesociety toward the sustainable development.
At present more than 13800 entities in 161 countries andregions have signed up for UNGC and conducting the Ten
Principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption,and striving after the SDGs.
Sophia University became a signatory member of UNGC in May 2015 and alsoaffiliated with the Global Comact Network Japan (GCNJ), the local area network.
Since then Sophia has been jointly hosting a series of symposiums with GCNJ during
the UN Weeks in collaboration with the member companies and UN organizations.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/657/
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/
https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/58211#cop
https://www.ungcjn.org/

Sophia University joined the UNU SDG-Universities Platform
The United Nations University Institute for the Advanced
Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) established the UNU
SDG-Universities Platform (SDG-UP) in 2020 to provide aplatform for collaboration by Japanese universities that are
actively engaged in achieving the SDGs. Sophia University
has joined this platform.
At a public symposium held on March 29, 2023, Sophia
University’s Professor and Vice President for Global
Academic Affairs Tetsuro Morishita, Professor Miki
Sugimura, and Head of the Office of Institutional Research
Yoshiharu Aioi appeared on stage. Also, Professor
Masafumi Hikima (Director, Sophia School Corporation)
participated in the development of a cross-university online
SDG class project titled Introduction to the UN SDGs.
https://ias.unu.edu/jp/sdg-up
https://ias.unu.edu/jp/events/archive/symposium/transformation-of-behavior-at-universities-throughefforts-to-achieve-the-sdgs.html#overview

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

17

Responsible and SDGs-related Investments

The investment policy of Sophia School Corporation is closely linked
with our founding mission and educational philosophy, typicallydescribed by“Sophia bringing the world together”and“For others,
With others”. This mission must be the basis of all the activities ofSophia that are not limited to education and academic research but it
also lays the foundation of our basic policy of financial and investment
management activities as well.
As a responsible asset owner, we are committed to contributing to the global
sustainability issues as represented by SDGs.

18

Results of the 2023 PRI Assessment
Sophia signed the United Nation's Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in
2015. We have been committed to ESG investing since signing the PRI, with thebelief that considering ESG factors is vital in achieving both superior long-term
investment performance and positive impact toward sustainable society. Sophia
has achieved the highest scores for all the assessment categories in 2023.

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

19

Responsible Investment Approach（Climate Change Issues)
Sophia University has three pillars of responsible investment initiatives: 1) building
a net-zero portfolio, 2) investing in climate change mitigation and adaption throughimpact investing, and 3) engagement via investment managers.

20

Climate Change Initiatives and Financial
Disclosure (Compliance with TCFD)
Sophia School Corporation has expressed its support for the recommendations of
the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), established by the
Financial Stability Board (FSB) in February 2019. As a responsible asset owner,
Sophia School Corporation is committed to encouraging companies and financial
institutions to fully disclose climate change-related information as recommended
by the TCFD and to engage in effective dialogue with investors.
Sophia School Corporation believes that balancing business activities with therealization of a sustainable global environment will lead to the creation of newopportunities and will therefore enhance its disclosure of information on its
efforts to address climate change issues, based on the framework of the TCFD
recommendations.
Governance to address climate change issues【Policy】□Sophia School Corporation recognizes that while climate change, which has asignificant impact on the global environment, is a risk to our institution, it is an
important issue that will create new opportunities for research and education.
Committed to our educational philosophy of“For Others, With Others”and theseven goals of Laudato Si’, Sophia School Corporation will contribute to solvingsocial problems, creating value, and protecting and conserving the environment
through research, education, and technology.
□In its Long-Range Plan (GL3.0), Sophia School Corporation has set the goalsof achieving carbon neutrality, GX (Green Transformation), SX (Sustainability
Transformation), etc. in 2030, as part of“developing inclusive and sustainable
school and work environments (facilities and equipment, etc.).
□In its investment policy, Sophia School Corporation clearly states that it willcomply with the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) andengage in ESG investment. It has announced this on its website under“Sophia
University’s Approach to Responsible Investment”.
【Administrative framework】□Given the need for the entire organization to work together to address climatechange, the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion and the Environmental
Improvement Group, as well as the General Affairs Bureau and the Finance
Bureau, which are in charge of risk management, work cross-sectionally to study
and discuss how education and research activities should be conducted torealize a decarbonized society.
□Issues for consideration are submitted to and reported to the Board of Trustees
and other internal committees, which deliberate on the status of measures andinformation disclosure related to environmental issues, including climate change.
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□T he Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion also employs student staff to
discuss and take action with students toward creating a sustainable campus.
□Sophia School Corporation’s efforts in promoting sustainability in research andeducation, corporate management, and social outreach are published in the“SDGs and Sustainability Report.”
Strategies to Address Climate Change Issues【Opportunities】□S ophia University’s basic philosophy is to contribute to solving social issues
related to poverty, environment, education, and ethics, which threaten humandignity. The solution of social issues will lead to the “salvation” of eachindividual “leaving(
no one behind”) and the building of a better world. Sophia
University’s research and education activities are guided by this founding spirit
and educational philosophy.
□S ophia University is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions andimproving energy efficiency by shifting the electricity used on campus torenewable energy sources and investing in renewable energy projects, thereby
contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society.
【Risks】□Sophia School Corporation must address both the direct impact on its businessactivities and the indirect impact on the assets in which it invests.
<Physical Risk>
Physical risk is assumed to include damage to Sophia School Corporation’s assetsdue to natural disasters such as typhoons and floods, impacts on research andeducation activities due to the suspension of infrastructure functions caused bydisasters, and increases in utility costs due to extreme heat. Increases in thefinancial aid provided to students affected in the event of major disasters are also
assumed.
<Transition Risk>
Transition risk is assumed to be the risk that a school corporation’s operations will
be affected by stricter climate-related regulations, such as carbon emission caps
and increased carbon taxes.
Strategy to Address Climate Change Issues (Portfolio Climate Risk Analysis)
As an asset owner, Sophia School Corporation is responsible for the GHG
emissions of its portfolio companies through its investments; and therefore, it
is important for the School Corporation to conduct climate risk analysis at theportfolio level and to formulate a policy to address climate change issues. We
conducted a Paris Agreement compatibility analysis of invested assets with the aimof building a net-zero portfolio. The main points are as follows:22【Paris Agreement Compliance Analysis of Invested Assets (Key Points)】□T he Climate Paris Aligned Equity Index Fund (Global Equity Fund) and theIntegration Fund (Japanese Equity Fund), both of which Sophia School
Corporation invests in, exhibit significantly lower carbon emissions compared totheir benchmarks.
□T he GHG transition pathway of the Global Equity Fund shows that actual
emissions have been below emission levels consistent with the 2℃ target
since 2018, confirming that the selection of companies is in line with the Paris
Agreement.
□The transition path of the Japan Equity Fund shows that actual emissions havebeen above emission levels consistent with the 2℃ target, but the discrepancy
between the two finds is not so significant compared to the benchmark.
□Trucost data can confirm the size of the gap between the carbon emissions ofindividual companies and emissions consistent with the 2℃ target ⇒Companies
with large gaps can be engaged through asset management companies.
□Unrealized carbon costs (UCC) of both global and Japanese equity funds show
significant reductions in future carbon costs compared to the benchmark.
□A n a n a l y s i s w a s c o n d u c t e d t o e v a l u a t e t h e e f f e c t i v e n e s s o f p o r t f o l i oreconfiguration by comparing the common holdings in the 2022 and 2023
portfolios and the new holdings in the 2023 portfolio.
□The results of the analysis showed that the deviation rate of the new holdingsin the 2023 portfolio was consistently lower than that of the 2022 portfolio,
indicating that the portfolio rebalancing was effective in incorporating holdings
with a high contribution to carbon emission reductions.
Risk Management for Addressing Climate Change Issues
Sophia School Corporation engages in risk management as one of its highest
priorities in order to realize its founding spirit and fulfill its social responsibilities.
Sophia School Corporation has established a framework for promptly detecting
and accurately responding to new risks that may arise as a result of changes in theenvironment surrounding the School Corporation.
＜Risk Management Framework＞
Chancellor: Chief executive officer in charge of the School Corporation’s riskmanagement
Trustee for General Affairs (Chairman of the Risk Management Committee):Oversees various matters related to risk management and promotes risk
management activities in an organized and well-planned manner.
Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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Risk Management Committee: Promotes risk management activities in accordancewith the PDCA cycle
Subcommittees: Working groups that formulate, review, and implement specificmeasures for each risk.
Indicators and Targets for Addressing Climate Change Issues【Actual CO₂ emissions】
See page 20 of Report.
【Target】
Sophia School Corporation has completed its transition to renewable energy
sources for almost 100% of the electricity used on its main campuses.
Decarbonizating the electricity used at the remaining welfare facilities is also underconsideration as the Long-Range Plan toward 2030 (GL3.0) sets out the goal of“achieving carbon neutrality”.

24Environmental Footprint of Sophia School
Corporation (Higher Education Division)
1. E n e r g y c o n s u m p t i o n a n d c a r b o n d i o x i d e e m i s s i o n s v o l u m e s –Initiatives toward carbon neutrality
The main campuses of Sophia School
Corporation’s Higher Education Division

Yotsuya Campus（205,988 ㎡）

Hadano / Mejiro
Seibo Campus / etc.
（27,171 ㎡）

5.7%

are the Yotsuya Campus, Mejiro Seibo
Campus, and Hadano Campus. At the
Yotsuya Campus, students from all of Sophia
University’s faculties and graduate schools

Sophia University
Energy Consumption
275,016【Heat Conversion Value: GJ】（2021 School year）

take classes and carry out research activities.
The Mejiro Seibo Campus is used by some of

94.3%

the students of the Department of Nursing at

Fig. 1

Sophia University’s Faculty of Human Sciences

fuel 0.1%

while the Hadano Campus is home to theSophia University Junior College Division.
The Yotsuya Campus is responsible for 94.3%
of total energy consumption*1 by Sophia
School Corporation. (Fig. 1)

City gas
22.4%
Sophia University
Energy Consumption by Type275,016【Heat Conversion Value: GJ】（2021 School year）

Looking at energy consumption by type ofelectricity 77.5%

energy, electricity accounts for 77.5% andnatural gas (LNG*2) for 22.4%. Fuels (heavy
fuel oil, etc.) are consumed, primarily inspace heating on the Hadano Campus, but
the proportion of overall energy consumption
is extremely small. (Fig. 2)
Regarding carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted by
Sophia School Corporation, emissions weregenerated through use of water supply andsewerage and through waste disposal, in
addition to energy consumption. The CO₂
emissions volumes generated by these havebeen estimated based on volumes fromacademic year 2021. In academic year 2021,
Sophia School Corporation emitted 12,881
tons of CO₂, with electricity consumption
accounting for 74.8% and natural gas (LNG)
consumption for 23.9%. (Fig. 3)

Fig. 2
Water supply 0.2%
sewage 0.3%

waste 0.7%
fuel 0.1%

gas
23.9%
Sophia University
Greenhouse Gas Emission
Composition Decarbonization
Percentage
12,881【Unit：t-CO₂】（2021 School year）

electricity 74.8%
deoxygenation 97.4%
Fig. 3*1. E nergy consumption for academic year
2021
*2. Liquid natural gas*3. L N G f o r w h i c h c a r b o n c r e d i t s h a v ebeen used to offset greenhouse gas
emissions produced during processes
from extraction through to combustionof natural gas, meaning that usage is notcounted toward CO₂ emissions totals*4. Student dormitories, etc.

From academic year 2020 to academic year
2021, Sophia School Corporation switched to
substantial renewable energy for 100% of theSophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

25

electricity consumed by its main campuses.
Also, in academic year 2021, the natural gas used on the Yotsuya and Mejiro
Seibo Campuses was switched to carbon neutral LNG*3. These efforts mean thatwith the exception of certain facilities*4, the Corporation has effectively nullified
CO₂ emissions derived from electricity and natural gas consumption, considerably
reducing its CO₂ emissions (97.4% reduction).
On the other hand, in the current academic year, as classes since April have been,in principle, conducted face to face, energy consumption has exceeded volumes
recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider reducing unnecessary
electricity usage to be an important issue for reducing our environmental footprint.
Also, as 100% of electricity is from substantial renewable energy sources, factors
such as a rise in environmental value in the future may ultimately lead to a rise in
the per-unit cost of electricity. Considering this, promoting energy saving is also an
important issue from a cost perspective.
Sophia School Corporation’s total annual energy consumption exceeds thestandard stipulated in the Act on Rationalizing Energy Use and it has been
designated as a specified business operator under said act as an entity particularly
required to promote the rationalization of energy use. Accordingly, each year it
reports information including energy consumption volumes and plans to reduce
consumption to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Agency for Natural
Resources and Energy and to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology.

２．
Waste Disposal and Emissions Level
Waste disposal is classified according to its properties, type, and discharger, andis regulated by various laws and ordinances for the prevention of environmental
pollution and effective use of resources.
Sophia University is responsible for the collection, transportation, and disposalof industrial waste generated by Sophia University. Therefore, Sophia University
contracts the collection, transportation, and disposal of waste to a business
operator licensed under the relevant laws and regulations.
In addition, by using electronic industrial waste manifests, we can share
information among the three parties of“waste generator”,“waste collector”, and“waste disposer” to improve the efficiency of information transmission and to
grasp the type and amount of waste, and the flow of waste from discharge tocollection, transportation, and final disposal.
The Yotsuya Campus generated about 6 million tons of waste per year before theCorona Disaster, and Fig. 5 shows the change in the amount of waste generated
from FY 2017 to FY 2021. Due in part to the Corona Disaster, it is difficult toread trends in waste emissions, but the reuse rate of combustible waste has
26

improved dramatically since FY2020 due to efforts to reuse paper, and the rate ofnoncombustible waste has also maintained a high level. (Fig. 6: Trends in Waste
Reuse Rates)
In accordance with the intent of the Law for Recycling of Small Home Appliances,
Sophia University began to reuse and recycle computer equipment in FY2022. In
addition, recycling of paper, PET bottles, cans, bottles, etc. is also promoted. The
proper separation of waste, reduction of emissions, and promotion of recycling
will reduce environmental pollution caused by waste, as well as greenhousegas emissions from the incineration of waste. We need to be aware of SDG12"Responsible Consumption and Production".
Figure 5

Change in Waste Discharge Amount

Year

Year

Burnable Waste

Year

Year

Year

Unburnable Waste

Figure 6

Year

Change in Waste Reuse Waste

Year

Burnable Waste

Year

Year

Year

Unburnable Waste

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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SPSF (Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures)
A six-department coordinated English course for sustainable futures

The Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF) started
in stages from AY2020, with the concept of“Top Global
University Project”, and by AY2022, all six departments had
participated, and the number of students exceeded 150; in
September 2024, the first cohort will graduate as early as
the first.
SPSF provides students with a broad understanding of the world’s diversity andteaches them the practical skills needed to contribute to building sustainable
futures for others, with others. The students will learn about sustainability issues
on a global and local scale and will collaborate with their peers and professors
both on and off campus in order to determine how to achieve a sustainable future.
Obtaining a degree is part of the process of becoming a change agent, but it is not
the ultimate objective in life nor in SPSF. As the circumstances and environment
surrounding problems around the world continue to change, it becomesincreasingly necessary to learn and adapt in order to build sustainable futures. To
this end, the knowledge and expertise, the understanding of multiple perspectives,
and the problem-solving competency cultivated at SPSF will form the foundation of
the students’lifelong journey.

SPSF Six Departments
・ Department of Journalism, Faculty of Humanities
・ Department of Education, Faculty of Human Sciences
・ Department of Sociology, Faculty of Human Sciences
・ Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics
・ Department of Management, Faculty of Economics
・ Department of Global Studies, Faculty of Global Studies

28

●Concept✓E n h a n c i n g y o u r e x p e r t i s e i n y o u r
department✓B roadening your horizons with global
and local approaches✓A iming to build a sustainable future
together with peers●Features✓Interdisciplinary approach✓All courses conducted in English✓O f f e r i n g B a c h e l o r ’s d e g r e e s i n
specialized fields of study
B.A. in Area Studies
B.A. in Economics
B.A. in Education
B.A. in International Relations
B.A. in Journalism B.A. in Management
B.A. in Sociologｙ

Curriculum

The SPSF curriculum consists of the SPSF Common Core (lectures and seminars onsustainable futures), Academic skills (basic studies to strengthen learning skills in
English, including writing, critical thinking, discussion and presentation), Specialized
Education and University-wide courses.

https://spsf.sophia.ac.jp/

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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Sophia University Graduate School of
Global Environmental Studies (GENV)
Developing global human resources to tackle global environmental
issues toward the realization of the SDGs
Human’
s daily lives and business activities contributes to environmental problems
we face today such as global warming, waste problems, chemical, air and waterpollution, and the decline of natural capital and biodiversity.
To address these environmental issues, in line with the SDGs (United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals), we need to further improve environmental
education and ESD (Education for Sustainability) to transform human activities andcreate a society that can realize new economic development (sustainable society)while protecting a healthy and bountiful environment.
To this end, Sophia University has established the Graduate School of Global
Environmental Studies (GENV), which integrates social and natural sciences to
conduct more advanced research and education. The faculty consists of domestic
and international experts in diverse fields such as law, economics, policy studies,business administration, sociology, and science and engineering, and part-time
lecturers are asked to be leading researchers in environmental studies in Japan
today.
In addition to the Japanese-language course, the program offers an International
Environmental Studies Course, which can be taken only in English, and accepts
many international students from Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and theUnited States. Thus, at the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies,
students can receive a high standard of education and guidance from a global
perspective according to their own problems and interests.
https://www.genv.sophia.ac.jp/english/

30

THE Impact Rankings 2023

Sophia University ranked 41st globally for SDG 14 “Life Below Water” in
the THE Impact Rankings 2023.
The THE Impact Rankings 2023 is thefifth edition since it was launchedin 2019 by Times Higher Education,a British magazine specializing inreporting news and issues related
to higher education. It assesses andranks universities against the United
Nations’Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) using carefully calibrated indicators across four areas: research,stewardship, outreach and teaching.
This year, it received entries from more than 1,700 schools around the world.
Sophia University ranked 41st globally for SDG 14“Life Below Water.”

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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Working to Realize an Inclusive Society By Having All New Students Take
the Universal Manners Test Level 3
About 3,000 new students who enrolled in academic
year 2022 have taken an e-learning course on Level 3of the Universal Manners Test. The test is administeredby Mirairo Inc., which created and provided a course specifically for new Sophia
University students in an on-demand format. In the course, students learn thefundamentals of interacting with elderly and disabled people and how to reachout to them, and also consider their own behavior in various scenarios involving
other people. Nearly 90% of the new students successfully completed the course
and acquired Level 3 certification. The results of a survey showed a high level ofsatisfaction at 98% and many students answered that they had learned something
new or gained a new perspective.
There were also many responses along the line of “I was very grateful to beable to take this test as part of a university program.”Other feedback included,“I learned that the world is full of people I did not realize needed help. I will try
and be conscious of these people in my everyday life so I can be of assistance.”
The new students were able to gain a new awareness as a step forward towardrealizing a more inclusive society.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/article/news/info/press0216um/

Conclusion of a Comprehensive Collaborative Agreement with Sado
City, Niigata Prefecture, Concerning Promotion of Natural Environmental
Conservation and the SDGs
On September 1, 2022, Sophia University concluded
a comprehensive collaboration agreement with Sado
City in Niigata Prefecture with the aim of promoting
natural environmental conservation and the SDGs
on a regional scale, as well as human resource
development and the fostering of international
relations. On the same day, President Yoshiaki
Terumichi and others visited the main building of Sado City’s city hall for thesigning ceremony and formed a consensus with Mayor Ryugo Watanabe to engage
in regional revitalization initiatives that utilize the knowledge of both the university
and the city with the aim of realizing a prosperous society in the future.
President Terumichi spoke of his expectations regarding the agreement, saying,“I expect this collaborative project with Sado City to become a pioneering casestudy of initiatives for island regions and island countries. We will do our best to
become a leader in education and research activities.”
The relationship between the university and Sado City started with fieldwork
activities on the island by Professor Guangwei Huang of the Sophia University32

Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies.
Sado City has developed a unique approach to implementing sustainable
development measures and it is currently advancing initiatives that balanceenvironmental conservation, such as protection of the Japanese crested ibis,
with regional economic revitalization, such as the registration of the Sado Gold
Mine as a World Heritage Site. The City will advance the collaborative projectin the sustainability field together with a Professor Huang-led team from Sophia
University that has a long track record of tackling issues in the field, such as
marine environmental conservation, population issues, and energy issues.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/article/news/announcement/press0907sadoshi/

Conclusion of a Collaboration Agreement with Shimoda City, Shizuoka
Prefecture, Aimed at Promoting the SDGs
On August 8, 2023, Sophia University concluded a collaboration agreementwith Shimoda City in Shizuoka Prefecture with the aim of developing humanresources who can flourish in international society and promoting the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). On the same day, President Yoshiaki Terumichi
and others visited Shimoda City Community Hall to witness the signing of theagreement together with Shimoda City Mayor Shoichiro Matsuki. Going forward,
both parties will combine their respective knowledge with the aim of creating asustainable and prosperous society.
President Terumichi spoke of his expectations regarding the agreement, saying,“An environment where a university can do joint research together with local
government that governs the actual field is of great significance for Sophia
University as we pursue our mission to lead society toward a better future. The
knowledge acquired from this research will be used to benefit the community andI look forward to seeing specific applications emerge.”Shimoda City will leverage
its internationality to develop human resources who can flourish in internationalsociety and engage in the development of an appealing and sustainable citythat can hold its head up high at a global level. A research station for the Sophia
University Island Sustainability Institute, which advances international research on
island regions in Japan and island countries, has been established within the city,and Shimoda City and Sophia University have already conducted many academic
exchanges and collaborations. Going forward, a team that includes Professor Anne
McDonald of the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, who also
belongs to the institute, will advance initiatives that aim to balance conservation of
the natural marine environment with regional revitalization.
The Sophia University Island Sustainability Institute mainly comprises faculty fromthe Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies and it is already engaged
in various industry-government-academia research activities in collaboration withlocal governments in Japan, industry organizations, international organizations, andoverseas companies.
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Conclusion of a Collaboration Agreement with Ama Town, Shimane
Prefecture
In April 2023, Sophia University concluded a collaboration agreement with Ama
Town in Oki District, Shimane Prefecture with the aim of contributing to theachievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ama Town is located on one of the Oki Islands, a group of islands in the Sea ofJapan about 60km from the Shimane Peninsula. The island is self-sufficient, withactivity comprising a fifty-fifty split between agriculture and fishing, as it is blessedwith bountiful seas as the result of the warm Tsushima Current and plentiful
spring water from one of Japan’s 100 best springs (Tengawa no Mizu Spring). In
olden times it was positioned as a Miketsu-Kuni (a place that provided food forthe emperor and important shrines) due to its treasure trove of sea foods, anda wooden strip excavated from the remains of Heijo Palace listed offerings that
included dried abalone from Ama (excerpt from the Ama Town website).
In order to overcome challenges such as serious population decline, since theearly 2000’
s, the town has been engaged in creative region-building initiatives
and today it is known as a regional revitalization success story, having attracted
a surprising number of young people to move to the town despite it being on aremote island.
Professor Rokuro Tabuchi of the Department of Sociology, who also serves as vicedirector of Sophia University Island Sustainability Institute, has been carrying out
research activities in the town and has continuously held fieldwork trips for his
seminars and classes on the island. Shimane Prefectural Oki-Dozen Senior HighSchool, which is located in Ama Town, has also been a designated school of the
Department of Sociology since 2014, and students from the high school regularly
enter the university.
Regarding the background to the agreement, the Association for Promotion ofInternational Cooperation (APIC), which is engaged in a number of collaborative
projects with Sophia University and supports Sophia University students studying
overseas, and which has also already developed a relationship with Ama Town,
stated its strong desire to collaborate with the university and the town to develop
34various programs. There was also a similar request from the town. Therefore, atthe end of March Professor Anne McDonald of the Graduate School of Global
Environmental Studies, who is also director of the Sophia University Island
Sustainability Institute, Professor Rokuro Tabuchi of the Department of Sociology,
who also serves as vice-director of the institute, Assistant to School President
Yoshihiko Miwa, and APIC President Peter Yoshiyasu Sato visited the town anddiscussed the potential for future collaboration with Ama Town’s Mayor KazuhikoOe, Assistant Mayor Misao Yoshimoto, and members of the relevant town hallbureaus. This discussion verified the feasibility of various academic collaborations
and a university-wide student exchange program, leading to the conclusionof a collaboration agreement similar to ones made with other regional publicorganizations.

Holding a Symposium on Diversity
Sophia University and Doshisha University wereselected under the FY2021 Science & Technology
Promotional Adjustment Funds MEXT“Initiative for the
Implementation of the Diversity Research Environment(Survey and Analysis)” and accordingly, they havebeen analyzing the issues facing private universities
in Japan, researching advanced overseas cases, andbuilding a model for solving the issues identified. In the2022 academic year, the final year of the project, theuniversities jointly held two symposiums in order toproactively share the project results. A symposium held on December 17, 2021,
titled“The Present and Future of Female Researchers”, provided an interim reportof the project’s progress and welcomed female leaders from private universities
and the private sector for an exchange of opinions on the present state and futureof women’s empowerment.
Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

35

It was attended by over 150 people from both inside and outside the universities.
A symposium held on March 8, 2022, titled Diversity Promotion Model for Private
Universities – Learning from Advanced Overseas Cases, presented examples ofgood practice for Japanese private universities gained from research of casesin the US, Germany, and Thailand and introduced a promotion model for both
universities. Also, in addition to the keynote lecture on initiatives by European
universities, there was a dynamic discussion between the presidents of four
private universities (Sophia University, Doshisha University, Komazawa University,
and Ritsumeikan University) about how to leverage diversity possessed by private
universities and how diversity promotion should be carried out. The symposium
was attended by around 240 people and many of the attendees voiced their
excitement to see the final research report. The project plans to reflect thefindings gained from the symposiums into a diversity promotion model that
includes support for female researchers and this will be announced in the future.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/article/news/topics/230308_diversity/

Building No. 15 and Campus Environment Improvement Work
(Exterior Refurbishment)
In order to realize the SDGs and reduce theuniversity’s environmental footprint, Yotsuya Campus
Building No. 15, a three-story wooden structure, has
undergone work to make it structurally fireproof.
This work started in spring 2021 and was completed
in June 2022. The classrooms on the second andthird floor have mainly been used for Professional
Studies courses aimed at working adults. The exterior has been covered with awooden lattice comprised of timber elements of differing thickness, representing
four concepts connected to the founding philosophy of Sophia University: Diversity,interaction with others, truth, and tradition. It is also an example of local production
for local consumption as it is made of cedar sourced from the Tama region of Tokyo.
Also, regarding work to improve the Yotsuya Campus
learning environment (exterior refurbishment),
construction has been completed on the mainstreet running east to west, the public area in frontof Building No. 1, the main street running from thecenter to the south, and the front of the library. The
main street, which begins at the recently redesigned
main gate, has been renewed using interlocking paving blocks that have improved
both its appearance and environmental performance. A giant relief of the Sophia
University emblem has also been realized on the surface of the central section of
the main street. A stepped terraced seating area, named S-TERRASSE, has been
built in front of Building No. 1 and the statue of Father Hermann Hoffmann, theuniversity’s first president, has been moved to a spot in the center of this terrace.
36

The rooftop area above Building No. 9’
s Active Commons (No. 9 Garden) has
also been renewed to become an open space centered around a lawn, offering
excellent views.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3675/

Establishment of a Health and Wellbeing Center
In April 2022, a new Healthand Wellbeing Center was
established in the Student Office.
This new center brings together
and enhances the services ofthe former Health Center andCounselling Center as well as
the student disability support
services and consultation
services previously found in theCenter f or Student A ffairs t obuild a student support framework that coordinates the expertise of professionals
including doctors, counsellors, and advisors with administrative staff who haveexperience in each department of the university to provide support focused on
the four areas of health support, counselling services, student consultation, andsupport for students with disabilities.
In addition to the psychological and physical health consultation services
previously available, it also provides“consultation on anything”as a first stop forstudents who do not know where else to go. This service supports students who
have worries and questions by first of all providing a place where they can talk
comfortably, and then, depending on the question or matter at hand, connects
them with student consultation services or with doctors or counsellors within
the center, or if necessary, liaises with departments within the university or withexternal counselling providers.
Also, in September 2022, a lecture on faculty development was held (jointly with
the Sophia University FD Committee) regarding reasonable accommodation inaccordance with revisions to the Act for Eliminating Discrimination against Persons
with Disabilities in order to deepen the understanding of support for students withdisabilities among university staff. The university is also engaged in awareness raisingand providing specialist consultations targeting students, including holding a seminaron consumer troubleshooting (January) and a free legal consultation event (March).
Going forward, we will aim to provide a safe, secure campus with an environment
in which consultation and advice is freely accessible in order to enable students toparticipate in school activities in full physical and mental health.
https://piloti.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/soudan/healthcare/service/
Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

37

Accepting Exchange Students from Ukraine
Sophia University, in collaboration with Pathway
Japan (PJ) and the Japan ICU Foundation (JICUF),
has decided to accept students from Ukraine whohave evacuated following the armed invasion by
Russian forces and who wish to continue their studies
in Japan. Currently, 10 non-degree students areenrolled at the university.
The first eight students started taking Summer Session classes from July 2022
and another two began taking fall semester classes in September. In addition toeconomic support covering their journey to Japan, accommodation, and otherliving expenses, as well as an exemption from tuition fees, the students are being
provided with help to adjust to living in Japan. The 10 students can take classes
as exchange students through to the spring semester of academic year 2023 and ifthey then wish to continue studying at Sophia, they will be able to transfer or takethe entrance exam and be provided with any support that they need as students
so that they can continue to study as fully enrolled members of Sophia University.
The university hopes to fulfill its social responsibility as a higher education
institution by taking in these evacuee students from Ukraine as an initiative that
embodies its educational spirit of“For others, With others.”
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/article/news/info/20220518press_ukraine/38

Initiatives of the Oﬃce ofSophia Sustainability Promotion

Initiatives of the Office of Sophia 
Sustainability Promotion
About the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion

The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion was established in July 2021 throughcollaboration by all of the educational institutions affiliated with Sophia School Corporation,

including junior colleges, high schools, and junior high schools. In order to fulfill thes social responsibilities, it strives every day to actively engage the four Universal
university’

Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) of the Society of Jesus as a whole and the globally pursued
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocated by the UN. It does this by further

encouraging collaboration, coordination, and information sharing related to sustainability-

focused research and education, activities by extracurricular groups, and social contribution
activities within the university. The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion operates thestudent staff system, a new initiative being pioneered by Sophia University. Students arerecruited to serve as staff and they fulfill these roles while balancing their duties with theirstudies.

About Student Staff

Student staff members leverage their student perspectives, ingenuity, and creativity tocarry out activities under three themes: Improving the campus environment, planning andorganizing events, and disseminating information. They use free time between classes

to serve as part-time staff for about 10 hours per week. They also have the opportunity
to experience a wide range of duties including administrative support for full-time staff,

promotion of the office’s activities, information gathering, and organizational design.

＜Campus Team: Five members＞

1)Realizing universal campus design  T eam members are utilizing their perspectives as students with the aim of realizing an
inclusive campus where everyone feels comfortable and safe.

2)Shrinking environmental footprints

  T eam members are working toward a sustainable, recycling-based society throughinitiatives such as increasing the number of water servers, establishing a “bring yourown container”system, considering the introduction of reusable containers, and raisingawareness about saving energy.

＜Planning Team: Five members＞

1)Planning sustainability-focused events  Team members plan and execute on-campus events that showcase sustainability from avariety of perspectives with the aim of raising understanding and awareness regarding theSDGs among students and faculty.

2)Planning industry-academia and community partnerships

  Since the establishment of the office, it has collaborated with partners including various
companies and international organizations, and it uses the connections available to auniversity with a storied history to plan events from a macro perspective.

＜Communications Team: Four members＞
1)Reporting on activities and initiatives

  Team members plan and manage reports regarding a wide range of student organizations,faculty, and individual students and then share these through channels such as theuniversity’s official website and the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion official
Instagram account.

2)Disseminating event information

  Team members promote planned events through channels such as Loyola and the official
LINE account to ensure many people know about them.

40*Member information current as of August 2023.

Campus Team

This team works on matters related to the campus environment. Our goal is to create a safe
and comfortable campus not only for students but also for all visitors to Sophia University.

Rooftop Garden Completed Above Building No. 9’
s Active CommonsStudent Staff: Shoji, Yamamoto, Hashino, Kori, Nakai

Work to renovate the Yotsuya Campus is progressing andfollowing on from the main gate with a new design, the

S-TERRASSE plaza area in front of Building No. 1, and the eagle

emblem depicted in the center of the campus’main street,

all of which were completed in 2022, spring 2023 saw thecompletion of a rooftop terrace directly above Building No.

9’s Active Commons, adding to the renewal of the campus’

scenery.

The rooftop garden is interspersed with elements related

to the SDGs and sustainability and it comprises three areas,

namely a pergola surrounded by greenery, a lawned areawith a broad square lawn, and a decked area. This provides

an outdoor space where students can take a break between
classes, encouraging interactions.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3989/

Creation of a Map Showing All Water Servers
Student Staff: Shoji, Yamamoto, Hashino, Kori, Nakai

Sophia University has installed 14 water servers across campus to ensure universal accessto safe water and to help eliminate plastic use. As people become more health-consciousand environmentally aware, these servers are becoming increasingly popular, to the pointthat long lines are forming during breaks between classes.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4129/

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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Make Your Dream Into a Career – A Career Design Event That Considers
the Most Familiar Social Issues
Student Staff: Shoji, Yamamoto, Hashino, Kori, Nakai

Over two days, May 14 and 20, 2023, a career design event

was held to raise the awareness and interest of students

in social issues and to encourage them to consider how
they want to work in the future. It featured Kou Nagato,a lawyer and former student of the Faculty of Law’s

Department of Legal Studies of the Global Environment.

This time, the event focused on the issue of waste andincluded an observation tour of a waste disposal facility
and a networking session with employees of companies

that contribute to the social good, giving students anopportunity to consider their career direction.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/4001/
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/4101/

Gardening Workshop

Student Staff: Shoji, Yamamoto, Hashino, Kori, Nakai
A total of five workshops for growing flowers andvegetables were held using raised garden beds, which areuniversal design flower beds, in the rooftop garden above
Building No. 9’
s Active Commons (known as the No. 9garden). Participants received advice from staff from Green

Wise Co., Ltd., the company that looks after the rooftop

garden of Mark Is Minatomirai among others, and were able

to learn about the plant cultivation cycle, from planting through to harvesting and usage.

Some participant gathered as group during the summer vacation and used the herbs grown
for an italian food party.

https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/3966/

Creation of a Reels Video Showing How to Sort Waste
Student Staff: Shoji, Yamamoto

The office has created a video explaining how to properly sort some of

the waste that is often generated during campus life. Recently, there

have been many instances around campus where waste has not beensorted or disposed of correctly, such as waste plastic being disposedof in bins designated only for burnable waste and PET bottles not being

separated. Therefore, the office decided to raise awareness of sorting
waste correctly by creating a Reels video and sharing it through the
Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion’s official Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co3Zcj5h4Tt/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

42

Planning TeamWe plan and organize events related to sustainability promotion. In addition to planningand implementing student-led events to promote sustainability, we are also active in industry-

academia and community partnerships.

Special Anniversary Event Program: Before You Say“Your Japanese isGood!”– Considering Microaggressions
Student Staff: Mamori

As part of Sophia University’s anniversary celebrations,the Planning Team hosted a Special Anniversary Event

Program. Under the concept of“In a modern society where
the word diversity has become popularized and various

systems are being reformed and enhanced, we also need
to update our awareness, speech, behaviors, and values inthe same way,”the program focused on microaggressions(habitual speech that unintentionally hurts or discriminates

against the person you are talking to). The program mainly
targeted faculty and students who are unfamiliar with orhave limited understanding of the term, and in addition

to educating participants about microaggressions, it also

aimed to encourage them to consider concrete ways ofchanging habits in a way that helps them to understand andcommunicate with conversation partners. It was attended

by around 100 members of teaching staff and about 40
students.

https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3156/
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/3322

Collaboration Project With Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. –Kenja no Recipe: Intelligent Breakfast Edition
Student Staff: Biyanwila

   

The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion recruited

around 30 students to be members of a project inwhich they developed recipes for delicious, sustainablebreakfasts from a student perspective together with Seven& i Holdings Co., Ltd. Using breakfast, a familiar matter for

university students, as a starting point, the project aims
to encourage students to consider sustainability issues
such as food loss as something that concerns them andto encourage even just one more student to start eating
healthy breakfasts. The results of an awareness survey on

the topic of breakfast carried out among Sophia University
students showed that there are some problems such asa tendency among students to skip breakfast, despite it

being essential for spending a day in a healthy and active

manner. Furthermore, the project also incorporated an SDG
perspective by looking at ways to reduce food loss.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3615/

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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SDGs Idea Contest Held For Four Schools
Student Staff: Matsumoto

An SDGs Idea Contest was held at Yotsuya Campus for students of the four junior high andhigh schools established by Sophia School Corporation (Eiko Gakuen, Kanagawa Prefecture;
Rokko Junior/Senior High School, Hyogo Prefecture; Hiroshima Gakuin Junior and SeniorHigh School, Hiroshima Prefecture; Sophia-Fukuoka Junior-Senior High School, Fukuoka
Prefecture) as a venue for cultivating the generation who will lead society in the future. In
addition to 31 students from the four schools who passed the initial screening, 11 Sophia
University students serving as student staff from the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion
who were in charge of the planning and operation of the contest also participated in thecontest. It was the first opportunity for junior high and high school students and student
staff who harbor the same aspirations to tackle the international issue of promoting
sustainability to assemble together. In his opening address, Sali Augustine, who was the
Director of Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion at the time and chief judge of thecontest, said,“This opportunity for students to meet for the first time and collaborate on
tackling issues is truly the embodiment of the UAPs. The planning and operation of thecontest was carried out by the Planning Team and participants were divided into eightteams of five comprising one student staff member and four junior high and high school
students from different schools and school years. They engaged in various groupwork
activities under the theme of“Recruiting people to create a sustainable future together!
Considering ideas for the future of learning through teamwork.”First of all, they used a map
containing a wide range of social issues to categorize the 17 SDGs into goals they had aninterest in and goals they were less familiar with. This was a chance for students to visualize
how well they understood sustainability overall. Then they carried out brainstorming, writing
down matters and times that excited them, with the aim of generating ideas to recruit
more people to the cause. Team members could be seen gathered around worksheets,
dynamically sharing their own knowledge and experiences. Finally, each team decided on
and polished up one idea and considered the personnel and other considerations needed
to realize it. In the time remaining, all the teams fleshed out their ideas.
One group used Hakata Station as a local venue for the idea presentations. Another grouppresented ideas inspired by theme parks that were brimming with originality from a school
student perspective, and the winning idea was The Game of Humanity, an educationalboard game that uses sustainability as its main theme.
The students were able to have fun interacting with each other while addressing issues, making
it an experience with significance for the future. A second-year junior high school student fromthe winning team shared their thoughts, saying,“I learned that accepting differing opinions
led to the creation of better ideas. By talking together, as people of different ages and fromdifferent environments, we were able come up with completely unexpected ideas. It was fun.”Ms. Yamamoto (fourth year, Faculty of Global Studies), a student staff member who was in thesame team, reflected on the contest, saying,“I was witness to an incredible experience where
team members earnestly exchanged and contested opinions and eventually settled on an ideathat reflected the team. Even as a university student, I also learned a lot.”
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/article/news/topics/20230321chuukouaideakontesuto/
44

The Sustainable Campus Forum – Can a University Become a Farm?
Joint Event by the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion and KASA
Sustainability
Student Staff: Takeuchi

On June 23, 2023, the Office of Sophia Sustainability
Promotion and KASA Sustainability, an extracurricularorganization, jointly held the Sustainable Campus Forum.
The aim of the event was to provide an open forum
where students and teaching staff could freely share theirthoughts about sustainability concerning the Yotsuya
Campus. This was the fourth time the forum has been
held and this time, the main theme was“Can a University
Become a Farm?”The section for discussion between
participants led to an interesting exchange of opinions that
explored how the university, as an educational institution,
could also function as a farm that supports coexistence with a diverse range of plant life. This
produced many ideas, raising interest in sustainability on campus.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/4461/

Open Campus 2023
Student Staff: Yoshida

A Sophia x Sustainability Student Talk Session andSophia x Sustainability Quiz were held as part of Sophia
University’s Open Campus on August 1 and 2, 2023. The
talk session brought together Sophia University students
who are working to solve social issues. The Quiz was aquiz competition that enabled participants to get a real
sense of sustainability efforts at the university. There
was a lively atmosphere and feedback from participants
included,“I was able to learn various things from a student
perspective,”and“I learned the specifics of SDG initiatives.”
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/4469/
Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

45

Communications TeamManages and provides information on sustainability initiatives at Sophia University andSophia School Corporation.

SDGs & Sustainability Report 2021-2022 (English Edition)

Student Staff OH, Harada, Kim, Ashizawa

Sophia University published SDGs & Sustainability Reportfocusing on our efforts in AY2021-2022. Student staff from
Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion interviewed and wrote
articles about the student organization’s initiatives.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3716/

Exhibition at SDGs Week EXPO 2022: EcoPro 2022
Student Staff: OH, Harada, Kim, Ashizawa

The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion andInstitute for Studies of the Global Environment of Sophia

School Corporation exhibited at SDGs Week EXPO

2022: EcoPro 2022, which was held at Tokyo Big Sight
from December 7 to 9, 2022. At the event, the Officeof Sophia Sustainability Promotion set up a booth next

to the Institute for Studies of the Global Environment in

the section for universities and educational institutions.

Student staff members manned the booth in shifts totell visitors about the office’s activities and systems,

including the positioning of the office and the student

staff system.

https://sophia-sdgs.jp/information/3440/

46

Supporting the Fifth Japan-Mexico Rectors’Summit
Student Staff: Ashizawa, Kim, Harada

On October 6 to 7, 2022, Sophia University hosted

the 5th Japan-Mexico Rectors’Summit. The summit
serves as a venue for higher education institutes fromJapan and Mexico to build friendly relationships andhold discussions with a view to future development.

It has been held once every two years since 2011
with universities from both countries taking turns toserve as hosts. The main theme of the fifth summit

was“Universities and Global Risks”and participants
discussed the social role of universities in regard tovarious global issues. The summit was attended by atotal of around 80 people, including leadership figuresfrom 24 universities and institutions in Japan and
18 in Mexico. Student staff from the Office of Sophia

Sustainability Promotion also participated in hosting

duties. Student staff created furoshiki clothes made from recycled PET bottles, which were

presented to attendees as a commemorative gift, and then held a demonstration of how to
wrap them. The attendees from Mexico showed a great interest in the furoshiki, which are

Japan’s traditional eco-bag, and showed delighted at receiving them.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3389/

Sophia University Students’Awareness on“SDGs & Sustainability Survey
2022”was conducted.
Student Staff: OH, Harada, Ashizawa, Kim

In January 2023, an awareness survey was conducted to determine the level of interest andawareness of Sophia University students regarding the SDGs and sustainability, with the aimof“understanding the level of interest and awareness of Sophia University students”and“referring to future efforts of the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion”. The survey was
conducted over a 21-day period from January 11, 2023 to January 31, 2023, using a web-based questionnaire (Microsoft Forms), and analysis was conducted by student staff of theCommunications Team, Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion.
（The number of respondents）
Freshman: 67（21％）

Sophomore：47（１７％）
Junior：６０
（21％）
（２８％）
Senior：７９

Graduate Student：３７（１３％）
Total: 284（100％）The survey asked a total of 15 questions, andapproximately 70% of respondents answered the open-ended questions.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3881/

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

47

Q6) How did you come to know about the SDGs ? (Multiple choices allowed)

The most common reason for knowing about the SDGs was“Lectures at the University”,
followed by “Classes in High School”, indicating that educational institutions have thestrongest influence in raising awareness of the SDGs. The percentages for“Internet”,“TV”,
and“SNS”were also high, in that order, indicating that the influence of the media is equallystrong.

Q11) What SDG goals would you like to work on in the future? (Multiple
selections allowed)
Regarding SDG goals they would like to work on in the future, Goal4“Quality education”

was very high, and Goal 5“Gender equality” followed. On the other hand, Goal17,“Partnerships for the goals”, was the lowest. It is evident that the respondents’interest ineach of the items examined in Q7 is consistent with their hopes for the future. We believethat perhaps it is difficult for students to understand what Goal17 is specifically aimed at.

Q15) In your job hunting, are you aware of the SDGs and sustainability
initiatives when selecting a company?
In regards to job-hunting, when asked

if they are aware of the SDGs andsustainability initiatives when selecting

a company, the majority of students
answered“Yes”. This occurred to us thatstudents place more importance on the

SDGs in their job search than in theirhigher education.

48

The result of analysis show no large differences among grades, however,“Freshman”had

the highest awareness, while“Senior”had the lowest awareness. For the Senior, the period

during which the survey was conducted was six months after they had completed theirjob search, and for some, more than a year had passed since they began their job search,suggesting that as they proceeded with their job search, their focus on SDGs which they

may have initially been aware of may have faded away.

Q18) Please indicate your level of satisfaction with the initiatives
implemented by OSSP. (Excerpts from some initiatives)
Regarding satisfaction with theinitiatives implemented by the

Office of Sophia Sustainability

Promotion, the “water server
installation”and“promotion of
MY Bottle” initiatives received

the highest satisfaction andrecognition.

The initiatives that have ani m p a c t o n s t u d e n t s ’e a t i n ghabits on campus (water server

installation, promotion of

the use of MY containers and bottles, and introduction of the small portion button in thecafeteria) are considered to have a high satisfaction and recognition ratings.

Survey on Water Server Usage Frequency and Rate of MyBottle Users(FY2023) was conducted
Student Staff: Harada

Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion has

installed water servers on campus since 2021

to promote equal access to safe water and de-plasticization through the use of “My Bottle”
to achieve SDG 6, 12, 13, and 14. The Officeof Sophia Sustainability Promotion conducteda survey to understand the current status ofwater servers, to promote the use of “My
Bottle” and to improve the management ofwater servers in the future.

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

49

●Number of times used per day

From June 12 to June 16, from 12:30 to 13:30, 1,104 students who used the water servers

in the central area of Building No. 2 and pilotis of Building No. 11 – where the number ofusers was expected to be highest, were asked about the number of times they used thewater server daily.

The majority of students, 480, indicate they use the water server once a day, followed by

355 students who uses it twice a day, and 166 who uses it three times a day.

Daily Usage Frequency Ratio and Savings Estimations through MyBottle
Usage
Looking at the percentages, 43.5% of the students drink water once a day, 32.2% twice

a day, and 24.3% three or more times a day. Assuming that students who bring their own
water bottles can save the cost of purchasing a bottled water (90 yen) per water refill,

simple calculations show the students who use the water server once per day can save 90
yen a day, 450 yen a week, 1,800 yen a month, or 14,400 yen a year.

50Percentage of users bringing their MyBottles
From June 12 to June 16, from 12:30 to 13:30, 1,104 students who used the water servers

in the central area of Building No. 2 and pilotis of Building No. 11 – where the number ofusers was expected to be highest, were measured about the number of people who uses
their own water bottle.

On most days of the week, more than 50% of the respondents used their MyBottles. Other

days, the number of users refilled with empty bottles (repeated use), which is thought to becontributing to the reduction of plastic bottle waste.

Survey on Water Server Usage Frequency and Rate of MyBottle Users (FY2023)
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/4568/

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

51

Student Staff Participated in the Creation and Editing of Role Model
Series XII Sophia Diversity: Sophia’s Women Leadership
Each year since the launch of the Sophia University

Project to Support Women Researchers in a Global

Society (academic years 2009-2011), the Office for
the Promotion of Diversity, Sophia School Corporation,

has published a collection of role models. Originallythe theme of the collection was women in research,
but later it expanded to include men being involved inchildcare, minorities, and research supporter systems.

Since academic year 2017, when the office was renamed
the Office for the Promotion of Diversity, the theme has

been broadened to incorporate diverse perspectives
under the title Sophia Diversity and role models havebeen selected from among current students, faculty

members, and graduates.

This year’s role model collection was the 12th in

the series and as a new trial initiative, three student

staff members from the Office of Sophia Sustainability
Promotion, Sophia School Corporation participated inits creation and editing. This year’s theme was selected
as Sophia‘s Women Leadership and contributions were

solicited from 11 leaders currently active both inside andoutside the university. It also honored the university’sformer Professor Emeritus, the late Dr. Sadako Ogata.

The front and back covers of the 12th role model

collection feature mimosa as a motif, as it is the symbolof International Women’s Day held on March 8 eachyear. International Women’s Day originated from a labor rights movement that spanned allof North America and Europe in the early 20th century. It was formally adopted by the UN

in 1975, which was International Women’s Year. The UN has positioned this day as a day
when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether

national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political . The idea of using mimosa as asymbol for International Women’s Day comes from Italy, where the flower starts to bloom

around that period.

https://danjokyodo-sophia.jp/keihatsu/digitalcatalog/role_model_12th/#page=1

52

Eﬀorts for SDGs

GOAL 1: NO POVERTY
End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Student Organization, Sophia Sustainable Coffee Movement (SSCM)
Sophia Sustainable Coffee Movement (SSCM) is a groupthat considers ways to make coffee sustainable underthe motto “Delicious, forever.” We aim to create a
fun and sustainable future for coffee through activities
including 1) holding study sessions and seminars related
to coffee, 2) holding practice sessions and seminars on
making drip coffee, 3) touring cafes, 4) exhibiting a boothat the Sophia Festival, 5) participating in and hosting events, and 6) holding an overnight
trip. Coffee is consumed all over the world and trading volumes are growing year on year,
but a variety of issues are mounting around the coffee industry, including environmental
problems, inequality, and poverty. We use coffee as a familiar entry point for considering
the world and the future to share a wide range of values so that we can build a fun andsustainable future for coffee.
https://sophia-coffee.studio.site/

Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/coffee_sophia/
X：https://twitter.com/SophiaSCM?s=20

Student Organization, wel-bee (welfare-focused media for students, by students)
wel-bee is a group that communicates information on
welfare. It was established in 2010 by former students
from the Department of Social Services. It carries out
activities under the goal of“providing fun, stylish welfare
proposals that capture the attention of students who
previously had no interest in welfare and encourage
action.”These activities are focused on three channels:
an online magazine, a free newspaper, and social media.
The target readership, students who have no interestin welfare, is extremely broad, so articles cover a wide range of topics from a student
perspective with the aim of fostering an interest in these students. All activities concerning
the free newspaper, from fund-raising through to design and publication, are carried out by
students. The group’s communication activities aim to make people realize that welfare issomething that concerns everyone and to inspire action.
https://wel-bee.com/

Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/wel_bee8/
X：https://twitter.com/welbee_854GOAL 2: ZERO HUNGER

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition andpromote sustainable agriculture

Support for Disaster Victims in Japan and Overseas Through Pan
Akimoto’s Kyu-Can-Cho Jr. Emergency Food: A Portion of the Proceeds
to be Donated to the SOPHIA Fund for the Future
In 2013, Sophia University launched a collaboration withPan Akimoto Co., Ltd. as a project to commemorate the100th anniversary of the university. Pan Akimoto has
developed canned bread as an emergency food that canbe stockpiled and is soft and delicious. This is delivered
to disaster victims in Japan and overseas through the
Kyu-Can-Cho Project.
Students from the Office of Sophia Sustainability
Promotion’s Communications Team conducted aninterview with Senior Managing Director Nobuhiko
Akimoto (position current as of March 2023) in which hediscussed the details of the project and the Kyu-Can-Cho Project’s origin story.
Pan Akimoto is a bakery founded in 1947 based on the desire of its first president towork with food products fostered while experiencing food shortages in the period
following World War II. It began developing canned bread products following theGreat Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, as the company had many connections in the
Kobe area and wanted to deliver bread products to people affected by disasters.
At that time, they received a request from an elderly lady to“create a bread that isdelicious and soft like sweet bread products but that also has the preservability ofdried bread.”As they searched for a way to achieve this, they realized that if they put
the bread dough in a can and then baked each can in an oven, the cans would besterilized. Experiments were successful and after patenting the production method
in Japan, the US, China, and Taiwan, the canned bread concept was fully realized.
The Kyu-Can-Cho Project was started on September 9, 2009 (which can be read as
999 numerically ), as a project that can participate in global famine relief activities
by providing emergency food. The project was inspired by events following the 2004
Indian Ocean earthquake, when people in the stricken area were running out of foodand desperately sought food aid, no matter how old, while local governments inJapan were trying to find ways to replenish their canned food stock and dispose ofold cans.

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Although unintentionally, Pan Akimoto’sbusiness is also linked to the SDGs, and it aims
to be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders
by benefitting customers, the bakery itself, andsociety. Ging forward, it will work to further raise
the penetration of the Kyu-Can-Cho Project byincreasing the number of companies that stock
Kyu-Can-Cho, and if the limit for storing these cans is exceeded, many cans canbe sent to people around the world who need them. Sophia School Corporation’s
Office for Community & Alumni Relations, Bureau of General Affairs is selling cansof Kyu-Can-Cho Jr. featuring original Sophia University branding. A portion of theproceeds raised will be donated to the SOPHIA Fund for the Future and will be
used to support students enrolled at Sophia University who have been affectedby large-scale disasters, including educational support, tuition fees reductions or
exemptions, stopgap emergency payments, and support for living expenses.
*Original Sophia University branded Kyu-Can-Cho Jr. cans can be ordered via
email.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3757/
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3765/
https://www.panakimoto.com/products_pancan/
https://www.panakimoto.com/products_kyucancho/

Student Organization, TABLE FOR TWO Sophia
TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) is a Japanese non-profit organization
dedicated to solving the problem of food imbalance between
developing and developed countries.
Today, the problem of food inequality is becoming a growing
concern due to the increasing rates of hunger in developing
countries and obesity in industrialized countries.
The group has developed a healthy menu for the Sophia University cafeteria. For every mealpurchased from the TFT menu sold in the cafeteria, 20 yen is donated to six developing
countries, including Africa and the Philippines, through TABLE FOR TWO to provide one
meal for a child in need. This activity will enable children in developing countries to enjoy ahealthy diet, alleviating hunger in the world which helps to achieve Goal 2 of the SDGs.
In July 2023, they collaboratedthe TFT menu was sold at the Yotsuya Campus Cafeteria. A
total of 638 servings, amounting to 12,760 yen, were donated through TFT for school meal
expenses in the countries the group provides support!
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4305/
https://tftsophia.wixsite.com/tftsophia

Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/tftsophia/?hl=ja
X：https://twitter.com/tft_sophia
56Youth and Agriculture in Japan
Takeshi Ito, Professor

Faculty of Liberal Arts, Department of Liberal ArtsThe Youth and Agriculture project explores the complex interaction of factors andstructural layers affecting the encouragement and retention of youth farmers andnew entrants in rural agriculture in different parts of Asia.
Globally, young people are increasingly turning away from agriculture andrural futures. Who will be farmers in the future? This issue intersects several
critical areas: post-pandemic recovery, climate change, structural mass youth
unemployment, younger generation’s reluctance to engage in agriculturalindustries, food insecurity, agricultural decline and poverty. Existing literature
has largely failed to offer nuanced understandings of the complex relationships
between young people and agriculture in different parts of rural Asia, as well as
the interaction of new and pre-existing factors complicating their engagement withrural lifestyles.
Drawing on evidence generated fromcomparative field studies in rural Indonesia,
Japan and Nepal, this research project examines
why young people leave agriculture and rural
areas amidst rising youth unemployment anddeclining rural agriculture. In Japan, the research
explores pockets of emerging agroecologicalmovements and successful support systems fornewcomer farmers and organic farmers in theJapanese countryside.
These groups are vital to the revitalization of
the Japanese countryside, yet experience ahigher rate of difficulty integrating into traditional
agricultural settings or sustaining rural agricultural
production despite attempts by the local andnational government to bolster new entrants and climate-aware agriculture. Insightsfrom the  project aims at creating nuanced and theoretical understandings of organic
farmers’s sectoral, spatial, and temporal engagements in Japan, as well as potential
policy insights for tackling this issue.

This project is a collaboration with Dr. Ramesh Sunam from the Waseda Instituteof Advanced Study, Waseda University.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4409/

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GOAL 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Research on a Psychoanalytic Approach to Psychological Distress
Soh Agatsuma, Professor

Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology【Abstract】
Psychoanalysis is a longstanding treatment method although both the theory andpractice have changed significantly since it was originally introduced by Sigmund
Freud . There are various approaches to psychoanalysis. The prevalent approaches
are ego psychology and object relations theory. I am interested in taking aperspective that incorporates various of these approaches. This kind of perspective
is called relational psychoanalysis. It is notable for not only focusing on theinternal aspect of relationships but also the real aspects. Another characteristic
is that rather than fixating on a single model of the psyche, clinical practice iscarried out while keeping multiple models in mind. To date, I have carried out
theoretical research and clinical studies on psychoanalysis, exploring areas such as
temporality, neutrality, self-disclosure, and technique.
http://www.iwasaki-ap.co.jp/book/b378525.html
http://www.iwasaki-ap.co.jp/book/b253460.html
http://www.iwasaki-ap.co.jp/book/b195903.html
https://www.kongoshuppan.co.jp/book/b515041.html
https://www.seishinshobo.co.jp/book/b252459.html

Institute of Inclusive Community (IIC)
Mitsuru Hisata, Director
The Institute of Inclusive Community (IIC) wasestablished in April 2020 based on the philosophy
of“Walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world,those whose dignity has been violated, in a
mission of reconciliation and justice,”one of thefour Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Societyof Jesus advocated by Fr. Arturo Sosa Abascal,
S.J., the 31st General of the Society of Jesus, andapproved by the Pope. Our goal is to clarify theissues that we should be engaging as researchers,
teachers, and educational practitioners in regard
to people who have become outcasts or had their
human dignity violated due to differences in raceor culture, or because of disability, not only inJapan, but in countries and regions all over the world, as well as to become a hub
for sharing solutions to these issues globally.
58

Since our establishment, we have held a number of public symposiums. Some
examples include Considering Schooling for Children Who Need Constant
Medical Care (August 27, 2022), Culture and Mental Health - Comparing Japanand Indonesia (November 4, 2022), and Considering Support for Children With
Disabled Siblings (November 12, 2022).
Considering what kind of advice and support activities specialists can provide
to enable children in need of constant medical care and children with disabledsiblings to receive the same high quality education as other children is one of ourhighest priorities. Therefore, in addition to supporting children with disabilities andtheir families, we also put our energies into research and accompanying practicalactivities targeting children with disabled siblings, who can often get overlooked.
An example of this kind of activity is our summer camps for children with disabledsiblings. Below is an outline of the camp we held in August 2023.
Nine elementary school students who have siblings
with disabilities and 15 Sophia University studentsboarded a bus near the Yotsuya Campus’North
Gate which took them to an accommodation
facility in the north of Tochigi Prefecture. Over twodays and one night, they enjoyed playing in thewater, a campfire, and other recreational activities.
They were also accompanied by the group leader
and two nurses who looked after the health of the children and students. The
distinguishing characteristics of the camp were as follows.
1)Child-centered principle: Students always accompany the children and do theirbest to fulfill each child's wishes.
2)Buddy system: Each child is paired with at least one student and given constant,individual attention.
3)The only rule is there are no rules: Rules and restrictions are kept to the bareminimum and activities focus on giving the children agency.
4)Pick-up and drop-off: There are many cases where the households of children
with disabled siblings contain a child with a disability severe enough that theirguardian is unable to leave the house. In such cases, the students will take thechildren home after the camp ends.
These characteristics resulted in an event that was the exact opposite of a regularsummer camp, where a group of multiple children are assigned one leader who
supervises all of them, activities have to be carried out at set times determined bya schedule, and an emphasis is put on behavior and attitude that is in line with therules. However, they are extremely meaningful for children with disabled siblings
whose daily lives are restricted in various ways and who often lack agency. One
challenge we are engaging as an institute is to scientifically verify the effects of thiskind of support activity.
https://www.inclusivecommunity202041.com/
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Research on Individual Differences in Perception and Cognition
Souta Hidaka, Professor

Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology【Abstract】
As individuals, each of us have different perceptual and cognitive processes andmechanisms. Some of these can be experienced in our daily lives, such as theway we perceive colors differently to other people or differences in the extent towhich we are bothered by noises. Idiosyncratic sensory sensitivity is one of thecriteria for diagnosing autism spectrum disorder, a developmental disorder, but as
the term“spectrum”suggests, everybody is considered to possess these kinds ofsensitivity differences. Also, our sensory organs decline with age, making it moredifficult to see and hear. It is thought that the older people compensate for thisdecline by combining multiple types of sensory information. Our research treatstendencies related to developmental disorders and aging as individual variationand investigates the perceptual and cognitive processes and mechanisms behind
this variation using a relatively large data set.
【Future prospects】
By clarifying the perceptual and cognitive processes and mechanisms that are andare not specific to tendencies related to developmental disorders and aging, we
can understand the individual differences in perceptual and cognitive information
processing. Based on this understanding, we will be able to recommend more
comfortable lifestyles by mitigating idiosyncratic traits, such as encouraging
individuals who tend to be excessively sensitive to sound to wear headphones,
earbuds, or earplugs.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4010/

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Research on Factors that Promote Healthy Eating Behaviors
Togawa Taku, Associate Professor

Faculty of Economics, Department of Management【Abstract】
In recent years, there has
been a significant interest inissues related to“food”in oursociety, such as obesity, foodwaste, and food shortages.
Many companies are creating acompetitive advantage throughstrategies that contribute tofood safety and health.
Given these circumstances, I
investigate how to promote healthier eating behavior from a marketing perspective.
For example, one of my papers shows that the position of product images on foodpackaging is effective in promoting healthy food choices and reducing food intake.
By conducting theoretical and empirical research, I aim to identify marketingrelated factors that influence consumers’eating behavior. Furthermore, in mylectures, I also engage educational activities to enrich student’s knowledge of foodconsumption by introducing relevant research findings and business cases.
【Future prospects】
In general, consumers tend to believe that healthy foods are not tasty. This“healthy= not tasty”belief can be a disincentive to healthy eating behaviors. Drawing on
the literature on sensory marketing, I will examine how to reconcile the trade-off
between healthiness and flavor perceptions. Past research has shown that various
sensory experiences such as sight and sound influence eating behavior (see figure).
In the future, we will attempt to explore new factors to improve flavor perceptions
without sacrificing healthiness by focusing on another sensory cue or on new
sensory factors that have emerged in our digital society.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/4026/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022435919300703
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352154622001292
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/marketing/42/3/42_2023.002/_pdf/-char/ja

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GOAL 4: QUALITY EDUCATION

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all“Sekai-Tankyu-bu” (World Exploring Club)- An Online Active Learning
Program for High School Students by Sophia Global Education andDiscovery Co., Ltd., Sophia’s Overseas-Based Education Company
Since academic year 2020, Sophia Global Education and Discovery Co., Ltd.
(Sophia GED), an educational company operated by Sophia School Corporationin Bangkok, Thailand, has been advancing Sekai-Tankyu-bu, an online researchand investigation program for high school students that aims to create a bridge
between high school and university education.
1. Program overview
A 10-month program in which university faculty members and researchers work
closely with high school students to deepen their inquiry-based learning. The
program focuses on creating a feeling of elation and excitement and participatinghigh school students choose their own theme from a wide variety of global topics
and then investigate and write a paper on it.
It provides students with an opportunity to connect to the wider world, discover
their own interests, and to find an individual style of learning that will help them inuniversity and beyond. It is a program developed from a longer-term perspectivethat creates a bridge between high school and university education by connecting
high school students to university through deeper learning with a view to their
future.
Program features• Provides an experience of the entire research process, from setting questions towriting a paper
Over 10 months, the high school students experience the entire research process,from setting questions through to researching a topic, analyzing their findings, andwriting a paper. Themes are varied and can include questions inspired by curiosity
about other cultures, interest in the SDGs or social issues, or by the student’sown experiences. By thoroughly investigating a topic that they set themselves, thestudents broaden their knowledge and interests while also growing their ability tolearn in a structured manner.
• Leverages Sophia GED’s strengths as a global center for university-based researchand education
Activities aimed at supporting the research by the high school students include
group lectures given by university faculty members on research methods and topics
concerning international society, regular individual consultations with a university
staff member or researcher, guidance on writing papers, the arrangement ofsurveys in Japan or overseas, and other types of implementation support. We areworking with the high school students to carry out practical inquiry-based learningby providing full-scale support that leverages the resources and environments of62

the university and its overseas centers and that is entirely online.

2. Future plans
Sophia GED will leverage its position as a universitybacked education business company to explore andfurther develop high school-university bridge education
through the implementation of the program. We want tocontinue working with high school students on initiatives
based on such inquiry-based learning to deepen the
future learning capabilities of high school students, aswell as to enhance the university as a place of learning,by creating various horizontal and vertical connections
and then deriving diversified educational opportunities
from these connections.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4423/
https://jp.sophia-ged.com/iblsupportprogram/
https://jp.sophia-ged.com/sekaitankyubu-journal/

Student Organization, UIF Sophia
The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) is a group of
students and faculty from Sophia University who havereceived design thinking training from Stanford University‘s
Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). Its mission
is to empower students to become leaders of change by
sparking their creative confidence and building a culture of collaboration. This is achievedby fostering design thinking, innovation, and a spirit of entrepreneurship Under this mission,
UIF Sophia actively engages in activities such as collaborating with organizations both within
and outside the university, holding workshops, and planning events.
SDGs x Innovation Sparker is a bilingual idea proposal competition held over two days. It
aims to foster creativity and collaboration among students, faculty and staff in order to work
towards a sustainable campus. Furthermore, the group also collaborates with secondaryand higher education facilities, including Seisen International School and Reitaku University,
on youth empowerment and design thinking workshops.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4512/
https://www.uifsophia.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uifsophia/?hl=en
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Translating UNESCO“Futures of Education”
Maruyama Hideki, Professor

Faculty of Global Studies, Department of Global Studies
【Ａｂｓ
ｔ
ｒａｃ
ｔ】
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) published the report, titled“Reimagining Our Futures Together: A new social
contract for education”in November 2021. This is thelatest UNESCO's report.
There have been two UNESCO reports that have had aglobal influence before this report. The first“Learning to Be,”known as the Faure
Report, was published in 1972 and popularized the concept of lifelong learning,which stresses being and becoming oneself throughout one’s life rather thanlearning to own something. In 1996, the second report“Learning: The TreasureWithin”or so-called Delors Report presented the four pillars of learning: learning
to know, learning to do, learning to live together, and learning to be.
Learning in the twenty-first century is about more than just obtaining knowledge
and increasing skills; it is also about learning in the real world, learning to live withothers, and learning to be oneself.
This“Futures of Education”report goes a step further, referring to“unlearning,”
and emphasizes the importance of learning to live in harmony with nature as partof life on Earth, to cooperate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, and toparticipate in society as lifelong learners toward a sustainable future. This report
is distinct in that it emphasizes that we construct our own future, the year 2050,
unlike the Faure and Delors reports that gave model answers. In other words, thisreport demonstrates that each of us plays a significant role in shaping the future.
【Future prospects】
After coordinating with UNESCO headquarters, a team of Sophia University students,
alumni, volunteer teachers, and volunteer scholars are hard at work on the Japanesetranslation, which will be published by the University of Tokyo Press in the spring of 2024.
https://www.unesco.org/en/futures-education

Comparative and International Education Research for Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD) in Asia (Sophia-ESD Project)This research focuses on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), which willplay an important role in addressing global issues through the achievement of the
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It started in 2021 as a Sophia University
Special Grant for Academic Research project and its objective is to clarify the issues andtheoretical signiﬁcance of ESD educational practices.
The importance of ESD is recognized by the international community, including64

UNESCO, and in Japan, it is being emphasized as a way of educating the actors
who will realize a sustainable society in a wide range of fields, including the
educational guidance field. This project aims to establish a hub for comparativeand international education research with three main focuses: 1) Research into
ESD educational practices using a participatory approach, 2) research into models
for evaluating academic outcomes and programs, and 3) comparative research of
the systems and policies supporting ESD activities in Japan and the Asian region.
Case Study 1 - Korea-Japan Teachers’Network on GCED
Sayaka Matsukura, a graduate student project member
who is also an English language teacher at Saitama
Prefectural Ina Gakuen Junior High School, served ascoordinator for the Korea-Japan Teachers’Network on
GCED hosted by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education
for International Understanding (APCEIU) which is a
UNESCO Category 2 Centre.
This project started in 2021 and activities have been carried out online. In summer
2023, an in-person exchange was held in South Korea. It involved a five-day training
program attended by 34 teachers from Japan and South Korea. It was an opportunity
for teachers from both countries to learn from each other as they shared practices
related to ESD and peace education and participated in environmental conservation
activities. Going forward, collaborative lessons have been planned in which theteachers who participated in the event will play a central role, and various classes will
be held in each region to strengthen ties between Japan and South Korea.
Case Study 2 - Symposium: Thinking Together About“New Schools”
This symposium was held in July 2023 with Sophia
University’s Professor Masamichi Ueno and Department of
Education as joint hosts. The event raised questions such as“What would schools and education be like in a sustainable
society?”through the screening of a video titled Dreaming
School. The movie attracted a great deal of attention fromboth inside and outside the university, with approximately
900 people applying to view it, both in person and via
YouTube. This included students, educators, researchers,
guardians, organizations that support and create spaces
for children not attending school or suffering from poverty,
lawmakers, mass media outlets, and people from the publishing industry.
Based on a series of activities, Sophia University was
accredited as a UNESCO Chair on Eduation for Human
Dignity, Peace and Sustainability from February 2024.
Miki Sugimura, Professor of Faculty of Human Sciences
who has been the Principal Investigator of Sophia-ESD
Project is the UNESCO Chairholder.
https://sciep.org/
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Student Organization, Sophia Sustainable Coffee Movement (SSCM)
The Sophia University Speech Club is an officially recognizedintercollegiate club established with goal of creating a venue fordebate in Japanese within the university. It holds debates andoratory practices in Japanese. It actively works to bring nationwide
competitions to Sophia University and both its efforts for promoting
debate and its debaters are highly regarded by a wide range ofparties. Around two thirds of its active members only started
debating at university, so it aims to show that no prior experience is needed to start debating.
The speech club also has an affinity with the SDG Goal 4 (Quality Education) and this is theclub’
s overarching mission. Also, the themes for debates can be set freely, so by setting
SDG-conscious themes, it can also contribute to the achievement of all the goals! For
example, debating the theme of illegal fishing will ultimately contribute to achieving Goal
14 (Life Below Water), while debating food security contributes to Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). In
this way, debate is an innovative form of education that can support any one of the SDGs.
s ambitions. “Our mission going
We asked club representative Kento Aoki about club’forward is Goal 4 (Quality Education) and we will particularly focus on the part that seeks
education for all. We are also planning activities such as sign language debate events andholding debate programs for school students in regional areas.”
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3942/
https://sophiadebate.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiadebateclub/
X: https://twitter.com/sophia_debate_Student Organization, KASA Sustainability
KASA Sustainability is a study group of undergraduate andgraduate students at Sophia University that conducts research
and activities on and off campus through field-based learningand research about nature and society, collaborate with local
communities, actively participate in regional and international
conferences, publish academic papers, and hold workshops.
In collaboration with the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion,
they held the Sustainable Campus Forum, a forum for faculty
and students to openly discuss how to co-create a sustainablecampus and how to participate in campus sustainability initiatives
and decision-making.
They also host environmental change workshops on topics related to climate change
mitigation, agriculture and environmental change, agriculture and food, and sustainability.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/4327/

Website: www.kasasustainability.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kasasustainability/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kasasustainability/
Contact: we@kasasustainability.org
66

GOAL 5: GENDER EQUALITY

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Change in the Percentage of Female Faculty Members at
Sophia University
Sophia University was selected as a recipient of FY 2009 Grant-in-Aid for Human
Resource Development in Science and Technology for MEXT’s Promoting Role
Models to Support Female Researchers program. With this funding, Sophia
implemented its Project to Support Women Researchers in a Global Society. The
MEXT program promotes the development of a research environment that takes
into account the life events and work-life balance of female researchers, supports
returning to work following an interruption in research activities or separation froma job, and promotes improvement of research skills and career development.
One aspect of Sophia’s Project to Support Women Researchers in a Global
Society, the Global Mentoring System, received the Award for Excellence in the
Organizational Division of the 3rd Mentoring Awards 2011. The Global Mentoring
System invites internationally active researchers to the university to serve as
mentors and advisors to make the most of Sophia’s“internationality.”Furthermore,
Sophia University also became the first private university in Japan to receive an“S”
rating (the highest possible rating) for MEXT’s post-project evaluation, in which the
Project to Support Women Researchers in a Global Society was especially praisedfor its success in increasing the percentage of female researchers in science andengineering fields and the percentage of female graduate students in doctoral
program, achieved through open recruitment that was limited to female applicants.
Such achievements have led to a major
step forward in the promotion of genderequality at Sophia University, including
the Sophia University Gender Equality
Declaration (2011), the establishment of
the Office for Promotion of Gender Equality(2012) and certification as a generalemployer that meets the standards of
the Act on Advancement of Measures to
Support Raising Next-Generation Children(2012), resulting in the creation of a university-wide system for promoting genderequality.
Subsequently, MEXT began its Top Global University Project in FY2014. For this,Sophia set a target of having an overall female faculty percentage of about 35% as
of FY2023. With continued efforts to actively recruit female faculty, the university
surpassed this target in FY2020.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3311/
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Free Sanitary Napkin Service OiTr Begins
In May 2022, Sophia University introduced aservice to provide free sanitary napkins on campus.
The smartphone app OiTr is used at a dispenser to
get a free sanitary napkin. The university has beenworking with students to introduce this service,including the locations of dispensers, based on asurvey conducted by the extracurricular activities
group Gender Equality for Sophia. He Jiayi, a thirdyear student in the Department of Management in the Faculty of Economics anda member of Gender Equality for Sophia, notes that“The introduction of OiTr will
not only make university life more comfortable for menstruating students, but also
help increase awareness of issues such as period poverty and menstrual taboos,
including awareness among students who do not menstruate.”
Period poverty, which is difficulty purchasing sanitary products, has been drawingsocial interest in recent years. Sophia decided to introduce OiTr on the main
campus hoping to reduce the mental, physical, and financial burdens associatedwith menstruation and assist students to have a comfortable campus life. The
introduction of OiTr is also an effort to respond to the following (out of 17 total)
SDGs: no poverty, good health and well-being, and gender equality. There areplans to gradually introduce OiTr on the Mejiro Seibo Campus and the HadanoCampus.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3457/

OiTr official website: https://www.oitr.jp/

Sophia University Diversity Survey and Analysis Project – Visualizing
Majority Privilege to Remove Structural Barriers to Diversity Promotion
As a university that strives for true diversity, weneed to start by removing structural inequalities.
Although it is important to recognize theunconscious biases we possess as individuals, we
also think that getting people to reflect on theprivileges they receive as a member of a social
majority can help make mechanisms of structural
discrimination more visible.
In order to transform the consciousness of many faculty members at the university,
particularly people in positions of authority, we have created a video presenting a
lecture by Professor Makiko Deguchi of the Faculty of Foreign Studies’Departmentof English Studies. The video provides a perspective on majority privilege with theaim of inspiring structural reforms.

68

●Target:Faculty members who serve as decision-making officers and in other official
positions. In addition to the aforementioned people, the video is also full ofideas for all members of the teaching staff who feel an organizational change inawareness is needed amid growing diversity.
●Video outline (approx. 18 min.)• Enabling diverse human resources to demonstrate their capabilities• What is majority privilege? ・ Being a majority and being a minority• Three types of discrimination ・ Mechanisms of privilege• Intersectionality ・ Noticing privilege ・ Ally behaviors●Example applications for the video
This video demonstrates the importance of taking an organizational approach tovisualizing mechanisms of structural discrimination, so please consider using forthe following applications.
・E ducating personnel tasked with promoting diversity (training for officers andproject organizers, etc.)
・V erifying diversity promotion efforts (reviewing processes for making decisions
on hiring, salaries and benefits, positions, entrustment of a specialization or job
appointment, etc.)• Formulating diversity promotion measures (deciding on a new policy direction)
https://dept.sophia.ac.jp/pj/diversity-pj/report/「マジョリティの特権を可視化する」
ーダイバー/

Youtube：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw4hhY9OmQg

Sophia Diversity Week 2023 (November 25 to December 10, 2023)
The Office for the Promotion ofDiversity, Sophia School Corporation,
has positioned the period from
November 25 (International Day
for the Elimination of Violenceagainst Women) to December 10(International Human Rights Day)
each year as Sophia Diversity Week,
during which it collaborates with staff
and students to hold events aimed at realizing a harmonious society that embraces
diversity.
Seven events were held in 2023, including a special event co-planned by the Officefor the Promotion of Diversity and Students for Diversity and four events plannedby Students for Diversity.
https://danjokyodo-sophia.jp/keihatsu/week.html

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Research Clarifying the Actual Situation in Regard to Victims of Sexual
Violence, Irrespective of Gender or Sexuality
Azusa Saito, Associate Professor

Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Psychology【Abstract】
Sexual violence has a huge impact on a victim’s physical and mental health, aswell as on their life afterwards. The aim of this research is to clarify what sexual
violence is and identify what structures are the background to sexual violence froma victim’s perspective. One method to achieve this is to listen to and qualitatively
analyze the testimony of victims. Another is to use a survey to quantitatively
analyze how much this violence occurs, the processes that initiate it, and whatkind of psychological effects it has on victims. To date, most studies investigating
sexual violence have focused on women. However, sexual violence can occur
regardless of the gender or sexuality of its victim.
Past research has shown that the number of people belonging to sexual minorities
who have experienced sexual violence is particularly high. Therefore, this researchenlists the assistance of people of various genders and sexual orientations toinvestigate the factors behind sexual violence, such as the effects of gender norms.
【Future prospects】
By clarifying the processes that initiate sexual violence, the mechanisms behindthese, and gender norms, this research hopes to assist in finding a way to realize
a society free from sexual violence. The findings of the research will be shared
via books and academic articles for uses such as deepening the understandingof society and people involved in the judicial system and making governmental
recommendations. In this way it will contribute to making the whole of society safer.

Sophia University joined the 30% Club Japan University Working GroupIn June 2021, the University joined the 30% ClubJapan University Working Group. Founded in the
United Kingdom in 2010, the 30% Club is a global
campaign aimed at achieving sustainable corporate
growth by increasing the percentage of women in
key decision-making bodies in companies. The Japanarm of the organization began its official activities
from 2019. The goal of 30% Club Japan is to increase the percentage of female
executives in the TOPIX 100 to 30% by 2030.
The 30% Club Japan’s University Working Group undertakes activities that promote
gender diversity among universities in order to contribute to achieving gender diversity
in a wide range of areas, including education, research, and social contribution.
Many of Sophia’s female graduates are active on the international stage, bothin Japan and abroad, and embody the realization of a gender-equal society. As
70global citizens transcending nationality and gender, they are putting into practice
Sophia’s educational spirit of“for Others, with Others.”
So far, Sophia has established a system to promote diversity and has actively
strived to support those with disabilities, foreign nationals, and various otherminority groups in order to create a campus environment that fosters true global
citizens who have acquired a mutual understanding of diversity. As part of the 30%
Club Japan University Working Group, we will collaborate with other universities
in the group to further advance Sophia University’s initiatives and contribute tosociety for the promotion of diversity.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3315/

Office for the Promotion of Diversity, Sophia School Corporation
Office for the Promotion of Diversity works on thefollowing 4 issues for our students and faculty
and staff members to contribute to the global
community: Promoting Gender Equality / Work Life
Balance / Minority support / Diversity Mind.
Sophia University declared “Sophia Gender
Equality Statement”in January 2011 and has beenpromoting the importance of Gender Equality and engaging in a wide range ofinitiatives and actions to transform the mindset of University members. Office for
the Gender Equality was established in January 2012 and on April 1, 2017 Sophia
reorganized it to the Office for the Promotion of Diversity.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/660/

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GOAL 6: CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water andsanitation for all

Building a Model for the Sustainable Use of Water and Land Resourcesin Oasis Communities in the Western Desert of Egypt, Centered on
Community Understanding and Participation
Erina Iwasaki, Professor

Faculty of Foreign Studies, Department of French Studies【Abstract】
In the Western Desert of Egypt, the advancement ofscience and technology has made it easier to accesssubterranean water and the expansion of agriculturalland reclaimed from desert has increased irrigation water
volumes. As a result, salt accumulation in the downstream
parts of oasis water catchment areas is accelerating, andthe expansion of drainage lakes and the prevention offurther salinization have become urgent issues.
Therefore, this research aims to facilitate the sustainable
management of this oasis region into the future by
combining scientific evidence with indigenous knowledge
and then applying this to the creation of new oasis
knowledge that is linked to the sustainable use of waterand land. This new knowledge will then be used as a foundation for the formulationand proposal of comprehensive measures for preventing salt accumulation in oases.
The characteristic feature of this research is that it is joint research that integrates
both science and the humanities with a focus on community participation,
conducted by both researchers and local residents. Specifically, we are building
a community participation-based digital platform for 1) building a technologicalframework for curbing the spread of areas affected by salt accumulation byidentifying the dynamics of water and salt over a wide area, 2) implementing
empirical studies of technologies for water-saving irrigation at a farm-by-farm leveland for cultivating salt-tolerant crops, 3) implementing practical studies of themulti-dimensional values and social mechanisms of water and land use, and 4)
sharing and visualizing information related to water and land environments.
【Future prospects】
This research covers the Western Desert of Egypt but the need to curb salt
accumulation is an issue shared by arid regions so the results and knowledge
obtained can be applied to other oasis communities. By building a comprehensive
framework for sustainable water and land use through an entirely closed-system
oasis that curbs the spread of salt accumulation, we are aiming to contribute to
the future sustainable use of water in arid regions.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/article/news/release/press20230601_satreps/
https://www.jst.go.jp/global/kadai/r0501_egypt.html
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Satoyama Conservation Activities Using Local Traditional Knowledge in
the Yato Water Environment
Miki Sugiura, Professor

Center for Global Education and Discovery【Abstract】
In and around Yato (narrow valleys at the head of local
rivers) on the Tama Hills, a valuable natural environmentis preserved within the Tokyo metropolitan area. This
environment is called “Satoyama”, and has gained
attention in recent years as a socioecological system
sustained through human activities including agriculture.
In particular, paddy field management based on local
traditional knowledge is highly valued worldwide for its
contribution to sustaining rich biodiversity and mitigatingt h e i m p a c t o f c l i m a t e c h a n g e . N o w , “ S a t o y a m a ”,
originating from Japan, has become well-known as aunique concept that indicates a sustainable relationshipbetween environment and human beings.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/4329/

MIRAI 2.0：International Collaborative Research Project
MIRAI 2.0 is an international collaborative project in thefield of research between 9 Japanese universities and 11
Swedish universities. The main objective of the project is
to establish a long-term research collaboration between
Japan and Sweden as key countries driving large-scale
research conducted worldwide.
The five research areas are Artificial Intelligence, Ageing,
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Advisory Group, Materials
Science, and Sustainability. The Thematic Expert Group
creates cutting-edge knowledge through international
collaborative research activities (joint research, research presentations, workshops,
seminars, etc.) in these five areas.
The MIRAl 2.0 Research & Development Center, which will be held in Japan in
the fall of 2022, is a center of excellence in the field of materials science andsustainability, and is a leader of various MIRAl 2.0 international collaborative
research activities as the Japanese Co-Chair of the Thematic Expert Group in eachfield.

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MIRAI 2.0 Research & Innovation Week 2022 (held in person at Kyushu University),
which was held on the Japanese side in the fall of 2022, our faculty memberspresented their research in Parallel Scientific Sessions organized by their Thematic
Expert Groups and in Poster The faculty members presented their research at
Parallel Scientific Sessions organized by their Thematic Expert Groups and at
Poster Sessions held as plenary sessions.

Understanding Public Perceptions of the Functions of Wetlands
Takahiro Tsuge, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies

Wetlands provide various benefits to human society through their diverse
functions. What are the public perceptions of these functions or ecosystemservices of wetlands?
To understand the public perceptions of the importance of the functions ofwetlands, an online survey was conducted in February 2020 among men andwomen aged 20 to 69 nationwide registered with a research firm, and responses
were received from 1,674 individuals.
The following figure illustrates the results of the best-worst scaling of theimportance of wetland functions. The vertical axis represents the relative
importance of the function, with 1 being the most important, and the higher thegraph, the more important it is rated. The results of the analysis indicated that thefollowing functions were rated higher in order of importance:“water purification”,“flood prevention”,“biodiversity conservation”,“water quantity control”,“carbon
storage”,“creation and maintenance of beautiful scenery”, and “provision ofrecreational opportunities”. These results show that citizens highly value functions
that improve safety and the environment.

Acknowledgments: Photographs provided by Sarobetsu Eco Network, a certified non-profit organization,
were used in the survey.

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Sado Case

Guangwei Huang, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies
Sado Island is rich in fauna and flora, landscapeand culture as well, providing an ideal research
field for studying the interactions between natureand humans. In 2022, Sophia University signed
a comprehensive partnership agreement withSado City for collaboration toward the Sado’ssustainability. Since then, the Institute for Studiesof the Global Environment of Sophia University
has been conducting various investigations on
Sado Island for better understanding its natureand the society. A particular focus is the water
environment in Lake Kamo.
Lake Kamo, with approximately 17km of
circumferences, is the largest lake in Niigata

Fig. 1: Depth distribution of Lake Kamo

Prefecture and famous for oyster farming in Japan. In the fall of 2009, this lake
experienced its first bloom of the dinoflagellate H e t e r o c a p s a c i r c u l a r i s q u a m a .
However, water quality studies on Lake Kamo are still limited.
As a first step toward a comprehensive and integrative study of the lake, we
conducted a lake morphology survey using ADCP. Figure 1 shows the survey result.
Because the last survey was done in 1966, our survey provided new and valuable
information regarding the physical attributes of the lake.
Furthermore, water quality survey was conducted in different seasons. Figure 2
shows the change of TOC (Total Organic Carbon) in the lake from the South toNorth and the distribution of dissolve oxygen saturation along the lake shore.
Additionally, surveys of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities, andmicroplastic in Lake Kamo were also carried out in 2023. These outcomes helped
us develop further in-depth research plan, which will be implemented in 2024.

(a)TOC (ppm) in June(b)DO saturation (%) in December

Fig. 2: Some results of the water quality survey in Lake Kamo
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GOAL 7: AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
for all[Summer 2023] Energy Saving Poster Student Initiative Sophia University
Office of Environment and Facility Management & Student Organization, ＋Re：
Sophia University Office of Environment and Facility
Management and the student group +Re: collaborated tocreate electricity-saving awareness posters, which weredisplayed in various classrooms on the Yotsuya Campus. For
this poster, we created a number of pop-ups that speak tothe students, as if Sophian-kun, who is also popular among
students, were speaking to them. We used nudge andbehavioral economics, which are often used in marketingand other fields and are a cross between psychology andeconomics, to create posters that focus on how to movepeople subconsciously, rather than just telling them toconserve electricity. Compared to the previous year, the electricity consumption at
Yotsuya Campus this May was reduced by - 2.4%, and the lights in empty classrooms
seem to be turned off more than before, but it appears that the wasteful use ofelectricity in large classrooms has not yet improved much. We would like to focus
on improving this problem this time, and specifically aim for a 4% reduction thisyear. I feel that awareness of electricity-saving posters is increasing considerably. On
the other hand, we see awareness as being one thing, but actually getting people totake action is another. We will continue to make efforts to change behavior.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4264/

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Participation in the Renewable Energy University League of JapanThe Renewable Energy University League of Japan wasestablished on June 7, 2021, with the aim of encouraging
the use of renewable energy by universities anddeveloping human resources to advance these efforts.
All participating universities aim to use renewable energy
for 100% of their energy needs and each university isrequired to set a target and take action so that 100% of
the electricity it consumes is generated or procured fromrenewable sources by a deadline set by the university itself, preferably between
2030 to 2040. As of the end of November 2022, 11 universities had become
campus members.
Campus members:
Chiba University of Commerce, Hiroshima University, The University of Nagano,
Ritsumeikan University, Ashikaga University, Nagoya University, Tokyo Universityof Foreign Studies, Sophia University, Chiba University, Wayo Women’s University,
Keio University (Shonan Fujisawa Campus)
A seminar was held to commemorate the first anniversary of the league’s foundingon June 16, 2022. Sophia University President Yoshiaki Terumichi, the facilitator of
the event, took to the stage and gave a report on the introduction of renewableenergy to the university’s Yotsuya Campus.
Going forward, the league will work to recruit universities that support its mission,as well as corporate supporters. It also has membership systems for individuals
and students, so that individuals with an interest in renewable energy anddecarbonized society can also participate in activities.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/news/PR/press0528renewable-energy.html
https://www.re-u-league.org/

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Research on reduction of friction loss in reciprocating sliding contact
Yilmaz Emir, Assistant Professor

Faculty of Science and technology, Department of Engineering and Applied
Sciences【Abstract】
Energy efficiency is included in SDG 7.3, where it targets global progress onenergy efficiency by doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency by2030. There are many machine elements with a reciprocating motion. Most of thetime, these elements are in contact with each other. These contacts create heat
due to friction, which is called heat loss. By lowering the heat dissipation fromcontact surfaces, reciprocating motion can be achieved more efficiently. In ourlaboratory we are working on various surface micro-textures that help to reducethese frictional losses. We have built a novel experimental apparatus to measure
frictional forces between two parallel surfaces under hydrodynamic lubrication
regime.
【Future Prospects】
By creating a general guideline for surface micro-texture parameters (dimensions,orientation, areal density, etc.), we are aiming to lower the energy consumption
by lowering frictional losses in reciprocating surfaces. As the internal combustion
engine (ICE) technology continues to prosper via carbon-free/neutral fuels(hydrogen, ammonia, e-fuels etc.), rigorous research in power transmission is stillvital for further improvement. Frictional losses account for about 10% of the totalmechanical losses in conventional ICEs, whereas the piston-liner interface accountsof 50% of these losses. A proper guideline for surface micro-textures would
increase the overall efficiency, enabling lowered fuel consumption and increased
mileage.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4488/

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GOAL 8: DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, fulland productive employment and decent work for all

Workstyle Reform Project (April 2022 to Present) – Cross-Departmental
Projects to Promote Workstyle Reform and Install Multifunction Office
Devices University-WideIn April 2020, Sophia University established the Workstyle Reform Project, auniversity-wide cross-departmental project led by young and mid-level employees,
which began planning activities with a focus on the future.
Following a proposal from the project team, in December 2020, Sophia School
Corporation formulated a Declaration of Commitment to Employee Workstyle
Reforms as a boost to the advancement of future initiatives. Also, to turn thisdeclaration into concrete action, it formulated 14 initiatives for advancing
workstyle reforms within the university.
Examples of the main initiatives1)Introduce online approval methods
2)P roject will visit all departments and share the status of activities through acollection of good practices3)Carry out networking events and awareness raising activities (online and face toface) to deepen communication between faculty members, and events to foster
dialogue between officers and faculty members. Consider and research working
environments that make communication more dynamic.
4)Disseminate information through regular newsletters and briefings, etc.
5)A nalyze and reform operations and consider specific measures for increasing
operational efficiency
Going forward, staff will work together to launch daily improvement activities andto embody the university’s founding spirit with the aim of promoting education
and research activities that seek to benefit students and society, realize diverse
workstyles for employees, and raise morale and job satisfaction.
Multifunction Office Device Project (August 2022 to September 2023)
The Multifunction Office Device Project was a cross-departmental
project that aimed to realize paperless work environments andmake equipment management operations more efficient by
combining and optimizing the functions of output equipment.
It started by trialing the latest multifunction office devices thatcombine the functions of various devices that had been installed ona standalone basis, such as printers, photocopiers, fax machines,
and scanners. In academic year 2022, these were installed inareas used by administrative employees and in academic year
2023, the university-wide installation of multifunction office devices
was completed through installation in areas used by faculty andstudents.

Courtesy of
Fujifilm Business
Innovation Japan
Corporation

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The main advantages envisioned by the project are as follows.
1)R educed environmental footprint (energy-saving operation, reduced carbon
dioxide emissions, etc.: electricity consumption halved, reduction in plastic
waste due to the elimination of 20,000 prepaid cards issued annually)
2)F urther encouragement of paperless operations as output levels can bemonitored collectively, raised awareness of paperless working (paper use will
be reduced as a result of approximately 10% of photocopying use switching toscanning, and about a third of fax use being converted to paperless methods)3)More effective use of space and creation of an environment where work is not
restricted by location4)R eduction in management and procurement costs through the unification ofmanagement methods5)Simplified operations and reduced costs as various users and usage applications
are operated through a single system
These activities were carried out with support from Sophia Campus Support Co.,
Ltd. and FUJIFILM Business Innovation Japan Corp. We will continue to advance
activities that are not restricted by previous practices and that incorporate
workstyle reform and SDG perspectives.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/2954/

Student Organization, Hult Prize Sophia
In 2022, Hult Prize Sophia University held“The Hult Prize
OnCampus program” business contest. The Hult Prize
Foundation Competition is a global competition where
university students develop their own social venture thattackles a different social theme each year.
The Hult Prize 2023 challenge‘Redesigning Fashion’aims
to combat sustainability issues in the fashion industry.
The Hult Prize competition is unique in the way for those
who have little knowledge of the fashion industry and/or
business to explore ideas and challenge themselves. On the
final pitch day at Sophia University Hult Prize OnCampus
round, thirteen groups presented their unique social venture.
The first place was awarded to team‘Looply’, proposing the business idea that tackles
fashion waste by up-cycling disposed clothing into textile paper shopping bags. Being
selected by Hult Prize Foundation as 1 of 500 startups globally to proceed into the regional
competition, in June 2023, Looply pitched their social enterprise to the Asia-Pacific round at
Ming Chuan University in Taipei, Taiwan.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4450/

Instagram :  https://www.instagram.com/hultprizesophiauni/?hl=en
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063637434599
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GOAL 9: INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainableindustrialisation and foster innovation

A platform for structural analysis and design for RNA-targeted drug
discovery
Jiro Kondo, Professor

Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Materials and Life Sciences【Abstract】
Pharmaceuticals have been designed to target proteins that are the cause of
diseases so far. However, recently, various types of ribonucleic acids (RNAs),
including messenger RNAs, which serve as blueprints for proteins, and non-coding
RNAs, which regulate the amount of protein synthesis, have attracted attention as
new targets for drug discovery.
We have established the Sophia RNA-targeted Drug Design Unit within the Facultyof Science and Technology as a research hub for RNA-targeted drug discovery inJapan that supports pharmaceutical R&D by Japanese pharma companies andacademics using our unique structural analysis and design technologies.
【Future prospects】
The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) operates theBasis for Supporting Innovative Drug Discovery and Life Science Research platform(BINDS), which comprises 30 Japanese universities and research institutions, andour research unit is positioned as its research hub for RNA-targeted drug discovery.
We work closely with the other institutes that make up the BINDS platform toensure seamless drug discovery in normal times and rapid drug discovery inemergencies, such as pandemics.

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GOAL 10: REDUCED INEQUALITIESReduce inequality within and among countries

Research on Employment Relations and Social Inequality
Jun Imai, Professor

Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Sociology【Abstract】

  The aim of this research is to use the concept
of“industrial citizenship”to explain structuralinequality in Japanese society and themechanisms that reproduce this inequality. It
is impossible to explain structural inequality
in Japan just using the common Westernconcept of“class,”as employment patterns, the size of companies, and gender
are important variables in regard to status. This research asserts that a form ofindustrial citizenship that is unique to Japanese society is behind the formation
and reproduction of this distinct type of inequality. The original concept presented
by T. H. Marshall (1950) shows employment relations unique to modern society
formed through interaction between workers, employers, and the state and it
ultimately focuses on the building of social relationships comprising norms ofrights and obligations established between workers and employers within specificemployment patterns, or in other words, their social positions. In Japanese society,a more suitable name would be“company citizenship”as the positioning of regularsalaried employment by individual companies is established based on the rightsof seniority wage and corporate welfare and the obligation to fulfill the various
demands of the company in terms of flexibility (flexibility in regard to overtime, job
rotation, and relocation).
This research asserts that despite the reforms to the labor market over the last few
decades, the recognized frameworks and behaviors of workers, employers, andthe state have been trapped by this citizenship as the norm. Accordingly, there has
been an increase in non-regular categories of employment, the concept of equalpay for equal work now exists in name only, and the formation of limited regular
employment systems with the aim of equality and diversity ironically created, ahierarchy within regular employees.
Put simply, industrial citizenship is the recognition and sense of equality and fairness
that we expect within an industrial society centered on employment. In Japanesesociety, this sense has developed as the thought that to be a decent worker who
contributes to the company, or in other words, to be a worker who deserves therights of seniority wage, lifetime employment, and corporate welfare, means not
only fulfilling demands in terms of job allocation and rotation, but also demands
for overtime work and job relocation that involves regional transfer. A person who
accepts these rights and obligations as norms is suitable for a regular employee
position and a career as a regular employee means long-term competition with82

coworkers who share this same sense of position. This sense of citizenship justifies
seeing people who do not share these norms as being lower in status and therefore
not deserving of the same rights. The current legislation that is believed to correct
the disparity between regular and non-regular employment in our society was
made without critically grasping this sense. Ironically, it has ended up justifying thisinequality and exclusionism. For example, if a non-regular employee receives lower
pay for almost the same work as a regular employee, the explanation will be that
“They do not have a responsibility to the organization,”(i.e. they do not share theconstant possibility of overtime or relocation faced by a regular employee) andcurrent legislation confirms this. It has just enshrined the existing disparity between
what is considered regular and non-regular into law, based on extant conceptsof equality and fairness, and justified it, showing that there has been virtually no
progress made on correcting the disparity and exclusionism.
【Future prospects】
This research has led to the publication of a book: Employment Relations andSocial Inequalities: Social Structural Changes Shaped by the Development ofIndustrial Citizenship (Yuhikaku Publishing ). In this book, I point out that going
forward, the willingness to accept transfers in line with a company’s demands will
become the standard used to sort employees into a hierarchy. Under this logic,
many companies’current efforts to diversify their regular employee will actually
end up stratifying this workforce. Going forward, research will focus on where
movement to stop this trend will originate.

Student Organization, Bridge ~a small step for others by gen Z~
Bridge was established in response to a 2021 coup d’etat
in Myanmar. The establishment took place one year after
the coup, when awareness in Japan had faded, so people
around the university have been kept aware of what ishappening in Myanmar. Specifically, it carries out four main
activities: Japanese classes, street fund raising, signature
petitions, and volunteer activities. There are a lot of
people in Myanmar who want to study Japanese, but they are currently unable to because
Japanese language schools are forbidden. Bridge provides these people with educational
opportunities through online Japanese language classes. It also collaborates with people
from Myanmar living in Japan on fund raising activities and cooperates on campaigns forcollecting signatures for petitions with companies connected to the Japanese government
and people from Myanmar as joint signatories. It also carries out volunteer activities with a
Myanmar restaurant that donates a portion of its profits to Myanmar. In the future, it plans
to have a booth at the Sophia Festival and hold public seminars with other organizations.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3416/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridge_sophia/
X: https://twitter.com/bridge_genz

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GOAL 11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIESMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient andsustainable

Seminar in Sustainable Societies
CAROLA HOMMERICH, Professor

Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Sociology
In this class, we think about sustainable development from a sociological pointof view. Placing a spotlight on the relationship between modern society andindividual well-being, we read a broad range of literature that provides us witha solid foundation for discussions on whether our current lifestyle and societal
system are sustainable and where problem areas lie.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3903/

Student Organization, Looply
In November last year, four students launched a project
titled“Looply”with the mission to combat waste in the
fashion industry. Under the name Looply,–derived from theidea to recycle textiles that have once been worn insteadof throwing them away–Ewan, Jessica, Lyna, and Poonya
set off on their journey as one of the dozens of teams
participating in the Hult Prize. The Hult Prize is a global business competition that challenges
university students around the world to solve the planet’s most pressing issues throughs Sustainablesocial entrepreneurship and by doing so, help achieve the United Nation’Development Goals (SDGs).
A month later, the four bright students competed in the university qualifier round hosted
at Sophia University. After receiving critical acclaim from five judges including Mymizu
Co-founder Robin Lewis, Rise Japan Co-founder Tomohiro Loeer, Japan’s Global Organic
Textile Standard (GOTS) representative Fiona Matsumoto, Ecovadis Japan representative
Akiko Nemoto and AWL representative Mina Tsuchida, the four students began on the next
chapter of their story: competing in the Asia-Pacific Regional Competition hosted at Ming
Chuan University in Taipei, Taiwan. So what was their idea which led them here?
Turning clothing waste into textile paper bags. Looply’s new idea addresses the increasingly relevant
issue of textile waste accumulating in landfills by upcycling this waste into a material used to makepaper bags. By using a sustainable alternative to the common packaging material, Looply’s paperbags will decrease the number of trees being cut down worldwide, reducing CO₂ levels. Comingfrom three different continents and four different countries, Looply also tackles the energy problem:by recycling clothing waste into a new material, Looply’s bags will effectively extend the product lifeof textiles produced, making the highly wasteful fast fashion industry more energy efficient.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/3913/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/looply_/84

GOAL 12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

KAITORI OKOKU – Turning Unwanted Items into Sophia’s FundContributions
Sophia School Corporation has concluded abusiness partnership with KAITORI OKOKU Co.,
Ltd. in academic year 2022 to build a frameworkin which the donation of items is turned into
contributions to the SOPHIA Fund for the Future.
This was established through KAITORI OKOKU’s
Monodone project. Monodone is a project
where a user has their unwanted items, suchas clothes, sundry goods, gift vouchers, and other miscellaneous goods, collectedby the company and then donates the sum of the appraisal to an organizationof their choice. As the global environment approaches a crisis situation due tomass production and mass consumption, it is essential that companies and otherorganizations advance initiatives that will realize a circular economy. However,in actual fact, approximately 70% of people have never used a reused item, so
KAITORI OKOKU is working to raise social awareness of item donation culture.
It is collaborating with charitable organizations, including universities, the Red
Cross Society, and the Ashinaga Foundation, in order to further spread the ideaof donating unwanted items before the global environment reaches a point thatit becomes unlivable for our children and grandchildren. It is hoped that thismovement will engage regular business companies and lead toward a circularsociety through initiatives such as finding ways to avoid the production of
unneeded items and developing new business models that reuse items.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3855/
https://www.okoku.jp/

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Ringrow Co., Ltd. - Turning Unneeded PCs and Smartphones into Sophia’sFund Contributions
In academic year 2022, Sophia School Corporation concluded a business
partnership with Ringrow Co., Ltd. and launched a new initiative in which unneeded
IT devices, such as PCs and smartphones, donated to the company are thenreturned as contributions to the SOPHIA Fund for the Future in the form of“Reuse
Funds”. When an individual donates a device, its data is completely erased andthen its parts are removed for reuse in new devices, so this donation system is not
only beneficial for the environment but also ensures there are no concerns aboutdata leaks.

The donated PCs and other devices are firsttransported to Shugakko, which are schools
opened by the company using closed former
schools in regional areas. Next, the condition of
the device is checked and all data is carefully
erased. Any devices that are still functioning
enough to be useable are appraised and thensold as second-hand items. The amount to
be donated is determined at the same time as the appraisal price. Furthermore,
devices that are no longer functional are dismantled and any useable parts areoffered for sale or sold to metal recycling companies as recyclable metals toensure as little waste as possible.
Ringrow also handles HaguKuma “( Hug Bear”), in which the PCs it sells secondhand are shipped inside a large stuffed bear instead of a regular packing box,
based on the concept of“an innovative PC box that will not get thrown away”.
Conventionally, PCs are shipped in specially designed stylish solid boxes, but
in most cases, these boxes are thrown almost immediately after purchase. As acompany that focuses strongly on reuse, Ringrow decided to address this issue by
coming up with a PC case that can be reused and that generates zero waste.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/3847/

Official Website：https://www.ringrow.co.jp/86Student Organization, Sophia University Sailing TeamThe Sophia University Sailing Team was established in 1963.
Based in Enoshima Yacht Harbor, it also holds activities along
the Morito Coast in Hayama, where tournaments are held. It
participates in tournaments for two-person International 470
Class yachts.
The person responsible for the accounts of the sailing team’s
Old Boys’Association is participating in activities as an oldgirl and upcycling boat sails into purses and bags. Sails thatstretch or break during races or practices on the sea are nolonger fit for use on sailboats. They are made of a polyesterfiber fabric called Dacron which, despite not being completely
waterproof, dries very quickly and is also very light, making it
an excellent material for bags.
The boats and sails used in team activities are purchasedusing team funds, donations from former members, andsupport from the university, so this kind of upcycling activities
keeps members conscious of the importance of looking after
equipment.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4091/

Website：https://sophia-sailing.jimdosite.com/
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/sophia_yachtclub/
X：https://twitter.com/sophiayacht

Creation of a Map Showing iKasa Umbrella-Sharing Service Locations
In the Yotsuya Campus, we have installed umbrella
stands for the iKasa umbrella sharing service operated
by Nature Innovation Group Inc. It is said that at present,
80 million vinyl umbrellas are thrown away in Japan eachyear, so the iKasa service contributes to reducing thiswaste. iKasa stands have been installed at the stationsof JR and other private rail operators around the Tokyo
Metropolitan Area, and users who have downloaded theservice’s apps can borrow an umbrella from any standand then return it to a stand of their choice.
Four stands have been installed within the Yotsuya Campus and a map has been
made showing where these are, as well as other rental locations.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/1336/
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4114/

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GOAL 13: CLIMATE ACTION

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Estimation of carbon emission from biomass burning by using satellite
remote sensing
Haemi Park, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies【Abstract】
Forest fires are globally increased involving destruction of biomes and air
pollutions. Fires, as a major cause of habitat disturbance, need to be grasped
and managed appropriately for achieving sustainable society. Satellite-based
remote sensing technique is a useful tool for figuring out about fire phenomena
by using various sensors that capture infra-red wavelengths. Furthermore, satellite
imagery provides land surface conditions in wide area simultaneously. Temporal
data accumulation of satellite observation is also essential to analyze long term
environmental changes regarding climate change. Fire information from satellitebased remote sensing records the location of fire event, the time, and the fireseverity, as well. If we compare before and after of land cover change due to fires,loss of biomass and emitted greenhouse gases (e.g., CO₂, CH₄, CO, etc.) can beassessed quantitatively.

【Future prospect】
Forest fire is one of the representative human activities, and a typical disturbanceon terrestrial ecosystem. This study can provide land cover change information
as evidence of human activity to government or policy makers, for examples,
agricultural land conversion, urbanization, illegal logging and so on.
Satellite-Based Estimation of Carbon Dioxide Budget in Tropical Peatland
Ecosystems, Remote Sens. 2020, 12(2), 250
https://www.mdpi.com/614988
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Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste in SubSaharan Africa via sustainable waste management: An economic benefit
assessment
Xuepeng Qian, Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a major challenge for cities
worldwide, particularly in Africa. This study used an emission-reduction
framework to assess the economic benefit of sustainable MSW managementin Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over a 60-year period (2000–2060). Two waste-toenergy (WTE) methods, sanitary landfills and anaerobic digestion, were used toassess the potential electricity generation from MSW under four waste collection
scenarios. The assessment was compared to the potential economic damage fromcumulative methane (CH₄) emissions under business-as-usual waste management
practices for the same period. The results show that energy recovery from current
MSW generation forecasts can contribute to 100–245 kWh per capita electricity
generation between 2025 and 2060, depending on the WTE technology employed.
The net present value (NPV) of WTE technologies is less than half the dollar costof the potential economic damage from methane emissions. These results havesignificant policy implications for increasing access to sustainable and clean energy
in SSA countries. Given that the current average per capita electricity generationin SSA is 158 kWh and that several countries in the area are experiencing energy
problems, MSW electricity generation offers untapped economic development
prospects. These findings highlight the economic advantages of effective waste
management in SSA to mitigate future environmental and climate change
consequences of greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, this study underscores
the need for stakeholders to develop cost-effective and sustainable waste
management strategies to avoid possible future economic and environmental
damage in SSA.
Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste in Sub-SaharanAfrica via sustainable waste management: An economic benefit assessment,
Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances, Volume 20, 2023, 200192
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2023.200192
https://theconversation.com/from-trash-to-power-how-to-harness-energy-from-africas-garbage-dumpsand-save-billions-in-future-damage-219052

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Student Organization, +Re:
+RE: is a group that advocates practice of the 3Rs (Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle) within daily life in order to contribute toa sustainable future. In a world overflowing with single-use
products, we are consuming huge volumes of resources andthe impact on the global environment, including worsening
global warming, is immeasurable. By practicing the 3Rs, +RE:
aims to conserve resources while also reducing greenhousegas emissions, including the CO₂ emitted when burning
garbage. In addition to previous activities such as collecting
empty contact lens cases and used toothbrushes, it has also
started collecting used clothes. The collected clothes arethen made available for free for about five days each month.
In addition to this, the group also makes indoor posters to encourage electricity saving efforts.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/1347/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purari_for_sophia

Student Organization, CocoEco Japan
CocoEco is a non-profit organization with a purpose to spread environmental awarenessand inform people about how to contribute to helping the environment in Japanese society.
They believe that acknowledging environmental issues is not enough. It is important thatpeople educate themselves about these issues so that together everyone can do their partin saving our planet from the intensifying climate crisis.
Through their media platform, they disseminate informative content covering a diverse
array of sustainability topics. These encompass everything from the impacts of fast fashionand the meat industry to introductions of eco-friendly consumer goods and services likesustainable swimwear, thrift stores, and recycling centers. They also engage in conversations
about emerging environmental trends and policy matters,such as the“deinfluencing”movement on social media, where users scrutinize specific products
and propose alternatives, the 2020 plastic bag charge regulation implemented in Japan and more.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4432/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdInPBdpLK9/?img_index=1

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GOAL 14: LIFE BELOW WATER

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources
for sustainable development

Island Sustainability Institute (ISI)
Sophia University Island Sustainability Institute(ISI) has experience and expertise in fieldbased socio-ecological production systems
focusing on resilience, vulnerability and adaptive
capacities-related data collection, policy design
and implementation projects in the Asia-Pacificregion.
Additionally, ISI is involved in analysing context
and place-specific biodiversity (i.e. protectedareas, nature-based solutions) and climate change related adaptation policy insmall-scale farming and fisheries communities. Empowering communities is acentral tenet of ISI work. ISI is actively involved in gender-related projects andresearch, specifically looking at the role of women in small-scale agriculture, agroforestry and fisheries in island contexts.
Specific key examples of ISI work related to SDGs 2, 3, 5, 6, 13, 14, 15 and 17
include:• Republic of the Marshall Islands Food Systems Pathway development under the
UNDP Food Systems Summit 2021
ISI (then Island Sustainability Unit) coordinated and facilitated the national
dialogues to support the RMI preparations for the UNDP Food Systems Summit
2021. ISI then developed the RMI National Food Systems Transformation Pathway;
the national policy document guiding food systems transformation in the RMI.
This document identifies the need to develop diverse and sustainable blue foodproduction and is a major driver for the proposed project. ISI has since worked
with RMI to identify partners in Japan to design a 3 year blue foods partnershipresearch and capacity building project focusing on small-scale aquaculture,community empowerment and environmental literacy to commence in April 2024.
• FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems program
Our team worked with the FAO Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems
program) and the Japanese government Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries in employing the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) as a holistic
approach and tool to guide resource management policy for small-scale farming
and fisheries communities.
• Federated States of Micronesia Protected Areas Network Operations Manual
ISI wrote the FMS Protected Areas Network Operations Manual for the Federated
States of Micronesia (FSM PAN OM). Work included desk research related toprotected area governance and policy from the global to regional, national
and local state levels for the Federated States of Micronesia as part of UNDP
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Ridge-to-Reef Programme. All of the consultations with the 4 state governments(Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae) and relevant stakeholders and the desk research
produced the PAN Operations Manual.
・UN IFAD Small Island Food and Water Project (SIFWaP)
This is an ongoing project with IFAD Pacific Region office. ISI has been involvedin project pre-launching work since 2022. SIFWaP focuses on farming and waterprojects in RMI, FSM, Kiribati and Vanuatu–4 SIDS identified by the World Bankas among the most vulnerable in the world, particularly from an environmental
perspective. ISI co-organized, coordinated and moderated the pre-launch national
workshops for all 4 countries. ISI also produced the Monitoring and Evaluation
Guideline and Impact Assessment Concept Note. ISI has played an activerole in inception workshops with all 4 countries and is now transitioning into
implementation from spring of 2024.
• UNDP FIJI REGIONAL OFFICE: GEF-8 Concept Paper
ISI was asked by UNDP to coordinate and lead UNDP and country consultations
with the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Republic of the MarshallIslands, Tonga and Vanuatu, with additional input provided by the UNDP
representative in the Solomon Islands. In addition to country consultations, desk
research was also carried out to understand the environmental priorities of ten
Pacific SIDS to support the UNDP development of a project concept note to attract
funding under GEF-8.
・Pohnpei State Climate Change Policy
ISI worked with Pohnpei State of the Federated States of Micronesia and The
Nature Conservancy (TNC). ISI wrote the government policy paper and one key
part of it was the parts identifying potentials for integration of Nature-based
Solutions (NbS) into climate policy for the state. This has since become legislationin Pohnpei State.
・Shimoda City Japan SDGs and Glocalism Working Groups
In 2022, ISI was asked by Shimoda City government (Shizuoka prefecture) toact as moderator, facilitator and co-organizer of monthly meetings from July
2022 to present. In June 2023 ISI presented the findings and policy proposal to
Shimoda City government. Since July 2023 ISI has led a project team to develop
eco-tourism, payment for ecosystem services schemes related to marine socioecological production systems and marine conservation and sustainability use,and satoyama / satoumi integrated policy design and environmental educational
activities.
・Measuring Climate Policy Commitments of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
to Nature-based Solutions
Partnering with Javeriana University, Aruba University, University of the West
Indies, The Nature Conservancy and Micronesia Conservation Trust, ISI initiatedand is leading a research project on nature-based solutions (NbS) for Islands
States and Territories. The key aim of this research is to understand the levels of92

commitment to NbS as a meaningful approach to climate adaptation, mitigationand disaster management amongst SIDS as reflected in their integration into
national climate policies.
The objectives to achieve this aim are:
1. D evelop an NbS policy scorecard that can be used to evaluate the depth of
integration of commitment to NbS for climate action by SIDS as detailed in theirclimate policies and legislation.
2. Apply the scorecard to those climate-specific policies and legislation from all
SIDS to identify:    a. Which countries demonstrate the greatest commitment to NbS for climate    b. Which countries would benefit from expanding their commitment
    c. Which facets of NbS for climate are the highest and lowest scoring.
3. Build a baseline of data for all SIDS, identifying areas for increased commitment
to integration of NbS.
https://www.sophia.ac.jp/jpn/research/activities/kenkyukikan/island-sustainability/

Student Organization, Green Sophia
Under the philosophy of“Learn with us, act with Green Sophia,
inspire others”, Green Sophia carries out activities that aim toencourage 100 people to take a single step rather than a single
person taking 100 steps. Specific activities include cleaning
up beaches and parks, vegan cooking activities, and visits toecologically friendly stores. Recently it has also held events suchas a taste test of plant-based milks and screenings of movies
concerning environmental issues. It is also focusing on sharing
information through social media with the hope it can make evenjust one person a little more aware of environmental issues. It
believes that fun is an important part of tackling environmental
issues and that psychological sustainability is also essential. This enables it to carry out
enjoyable activities that do not ask too much of participants.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/860/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greensophia_insta/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCooYbMtDP6rLzB2QmN1xMsw/about

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GOAL 15: LIFE ON LAND

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Exhibition Activities That Contribute to the Preservation of Regional
Nature, History, and Culture
Yuka Mizutani, Professor

Center for Global Education and Discovery【Abstract】
As the world globalizes, it is becoming increasingly
important to preserve and revitalize the uniquenature, history, and culture of regions. This
research focuses on regional nature, history,
and culture, primarily of the Kerama Islands,a marine region in Okinawa Prefecture, and it
involves exhibition activities that incorporate SDGrelated topics. This project is being implemented
with cooperation from Diving School FAMILLE
Okinawa(Naha, Okinawa Prefecture). The school
provides diving tours of the seas around theKerama Islands and the southwest of part of
Okinawa Island, as well as training to acquirea scuba diving license and marine education
support to educational institutions. I am a cultural
anthropologist and I am implementing the exhibition activities in coordination withthe diving school’s staff with the aim of widely sharing information on the ocean
environment and Okinawa’s history and culture and SDGs-related information withschool students, tourists, and others in an enjoyable and sustainable manner.
【Future prospects】
We think that this exhibition will encourage students, tourists, and others
to visit the region’s museums and historical sites to raise their interest in
Okinawa’s unique nature, history, and culture. Through the practical activities
involved in this research, we will also explore ways that a university in Tokyo cancollaborate with companies and organizations in regional areas of Japan.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/efforts/4202/
https://researchmap.jp/setting/yukamizutani/研究ブログ

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GOAL 16: PEACE, JUSTICE, AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide accessto justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

Student Organization, SEAS – Southeast Asian Society ClubSEAS (Southeast Asian Society) promotes Southeast
Asian culture through cultural exchange and fundraising
as its main activities.
SEAS aims to deepen understanding of Southeast Asian(SEA) culture by organizing events and fairs to enjoy SEA
food, music, and movies. SEAS also donates proceeds fromits events to aid organizations in Myanmar. The number ofinternally displaced people in Myanmar due to the military
coup has reached approximately 1,704,000 as of March 2023, and SEAS has been active in oncampus fundraising, donating Ks 1,674,000 in the form of books, food, and snacks to schools in
displaced camps in Kayah State, the most affected area. (As of July 2022)
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/4066/Student Organization, Sophia Refugee Support Group(SRSG)
Sophia Refugee Support Group (SRSG) is a student-led
volunteer group based in Sophia University founded in2017. SRSG is formed from a research project calleds“Refugee Voices Japan”from Professor David H. Slater’“Digital Oral Narratives” course in which students
interviewed and learned about the experiences ofrefugees living in Japan.
SRSG holds monthly “refugee cafe” social gatherings, and in cooperation with Second
Harvest Japan, they provide food to meet the dietary restrictions of each family and alsodeliver personalized sanitary products. Thus far, 900 and 150 boxes have been delivered.
Additionally, they also provide Japanese language and job-hunting support in partnershipwith companies such as HAYS and Marsh Japan.
SRSG continues to encourage the Japanese public to recognize, learn, support, and further
spread awareness of the refugee reality.
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/efforts/4320/

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Sophia Institute of Human Security (SIHS)
Sophia Institute for Human Security (SIHS) wasestablished for the purpose of researching humansecurity through social science. It was launched asa “Private University Research Branding Project”
subsidized by the MEXT, the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in December
2017 in Project Research Division Research Unit at
Sophia University. In July 2022, the institute received
the ORION fund and switched to Affiliated Research
Organizations.
【Activities】
SIHS considers poverty, environment, medical care, immigrants and refugees,
and peacebuilding as the five important human security issues in an internationalsociety. We will work on the realization of human security through academic
research by becoming an international center of excellence that designs effective
policies and institutions to solve these problems using social science researchmethods. Our research division consists of five units: poverty, environment, healthand medical care, immigrants and refugees, and peacebuilding. The developing
regions of Africa, Southeast Asia and South Asia are our main research fields. The
following are the basic policies which SIHS considers essential to realize humansecurity:・To tackle the realization of human security through the research results of social
science.
・To promote research based on local circumstances and problems while working
in collaboration with local researchers.
https://dept.sophia.ac.jp/is/sihs/eng/

SDGs, Peace, and Water - The Most Important Things for Humanity
Daisaku Higashi, Professor

Center for Global Education and Discovery
I have been conducting field research on mediation during armed conflicts (peace
negotiations) and post-conflict peacebuilding. As a result, I had many opportunities
to visit countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and East Timor as an
UN official, academic researcher, and an expert assigned by Japanese Ministersof Foreign Affairs. Based on these experiences, I am convinced that the mostimportant things for human being are“peace and water”, although we do notrealize how important they are when we have enough of them.
In February 2023, I published a book titled“How to End the War in Ukraine?
Limitations and Possibilities of Peace Mediation” published from Iwanami
Shinsho publisher. To do research for this book, in August 2022, I conducted96

field research and delivered lectures in countries including Saudi Arabia, which
is a bigger producer of oil than Russia, and Turkey, which has been acting as amediator between Russia and Ukraine. After these visits, I spent about two weeks
conducting field research in Moldova, a neighboring country to Ukraine.
In Moldova, I talked with high ranked government officials, including the Deputy
Prime Ministers, the Minister of Health, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,
who told me about the Moldovan government’s concern that it may be the next
country to be invaded by Russia after Ukraine. I also visited a refugee center for
Ukrainians who had fled into Moldova several times and I interviewed 13 Ukraine
refugees for about an hour and a half each.
The refugees passionately responded to my interviews. Out of the 13 people I talked
to, more than half had received severe psychological damage. When the conflict
first started, they were subjected to aerial attacks almost every night for over a
week and had to face the prospect of death on a daily basis. They fled to Moldova
in fear for their lives. As a result, most of them are now struggling with difficulties
such as flashbacks, hysteria, insomnia, inability to eat; some of school age refugees
are unable to attend school due to the mental hardship. It was heartbreaking tosee innocent people are pushed to the corner by war. In my book, I described how
two Japanese NGOs have been providing support to Ukrainian refugees from thevery first stage of the conflict. And I proposed that these NGOs can cooperate withexperts in psychological care who have experience caring for people affected by
the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami to provide psychological support for
Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. I also proposed that these cares and support could
be summarized in an English report in the future; the report could be utilized toshare precious knowledges and experiences in Moldova with eight million Ukraine
refugees who are suffering from mental problems around the world.
When talking with the Ukrainian refugees, the final thing I asked them was,“What doyou need the most?”The sincere reply was,“I hope peace to be restored as soon
as possible. We want peace so we can return to our hometowns. That is the mostimportant.”We cannot recognize the importance of peace until peace is taken away.
The same can be said for Afghanistan, which came under the full control of the
Taliban after U.S. forces withdrew in August 2021. Al-Qaeda perpetrated the
9/11 attacks in 2001. Al-Qaeda had a base in Afghanistan at the time, so the U.S.
attacked the country on the premise that the Taliban government was sanctioning
Al-Qaeda. The U.S. goal was to overthrow the Taliban government and createa democratic one. However, this new government was viewed by many Afghan
people as extremely corrupt; Afghan people also felt that if the Taliban were to
return after the withdrawal of the U.S. military, the government officials would
soon flee overseas. To put it simply, it was seen as a U.S. puppet regime.
After 20 years of exhausting fighting, the U.S. government negotiated directly with the
Taliban and in 2021, and US agreed to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan under
the conditions that the Taliban would not sanction international terrorist groups,
including Al-Qaeda. Then, two weeks before the US withdrawal was fully completed,
Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-202397the Taliban re-seized control of the entire country. Directly after this, the U.S. imposed
financial sanctions on Afghanistan. Specifically, it froze about one-trillion-yen’s worthof assets held by Afghanistan’s central bank in the U.S. and prohibited, in principle,
money transfers to the country, with the exception of transfers for the purpose ofhumanitarian aid. (However, despite this exclusion, it is difficult for private sectorbanks to determine what counts as humanitarian aid, so in reality, almost all transfers
had been stopped.) Nearly all financial transactions in Afghanistan were carried out
in U.S. dollars, so these sanctions have paralyzed the banking system, pushing people
into severe poverty. Against this background, since October 2021, the UN has issued
a series of warnings that 70% of the country’s population of around 40 million are
suffering extreme poverty and six million people could starve to death.
Knowing about these desperate circumstances, I shared this terrible situation with
Ms. Yoko Kamikawa, a member of the House of Representatives who I have worked
with on various projects over the last 20 years, and who is also president  of the nonpartisan working group, called the Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population(JPFP). Ms. Kamikawa quickly decided to host a meeting and on December 8, 2021, I
delivered a lecture titled“Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan and the Role of Japan”.
In this talk, I outlined five proposals, including expanding humanitarian aid, supporting
Japanese NGOs, supporting agriculture and education as a part of humanitarianaid, and persuading the U.S. to lift its sanctions on Afghanistan, exerting behind thescenes. Then, toward the end of December, Ms. Kamikawa and JPFP SecretaryGeneral Hitoshi Kikawada (who is Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of theHouse of Representatives) presented my five proposals to Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi,
who was Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time, as the recommendations of the JPFP.
In August 2022, an“Afghanistan Project Team”was established within the JPFP tosustain political support for suffering Afghan people. I was also the first person invited
to give a lecture on the subject. Following this event, I was given an opportunity
to speak about Afghanistan at the headquarters of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), an international organization comprising about 59 countries, inJeddah, Saudi Arabia. Here I met Ambassador Tarig Ali Bakheet, the Special Envoyof the Secretary-General of OIC to Afghanistan, who hosted my lecture in Jeddahin Sep 2022. In February 2023, I returned to Afghanistan for the first time in 12
years as a UN peacebuilding consultant, where I gave lectures and continued tomaintain dialogue with UN leadership about expanding the late Dr.Tetsu Nakamura ’smiraculous irrigation project across the entire country through cooperation between
Japan, the UN, the OIC, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB, a bank with close ties
to the OIC) and Peace Japan Medical Service (PMS) which was founded by Dr. Tetsu
Nakamura. In March in 2023, I returned to Saudi Arabia, where I delivered a lecture at
the IsDB and reached an understanding regarding future cooperation.
Then, in June 2023, Sophia University provided funding to invite OIC Ambassador
Tarig and Mohammad Alsaati, Special Advisor to the President of the IsDB (whois also responsible for trust funds related to humanitarian aid to Afghanistan), toJapan and hosted three days of intensive workshops and a large symposium. In
various workshops, I facilitated face-to-face conversations with members of the98OIC, IsDB, PMS, JICA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and other JapaneseNGOs. In each session, we spent several hours thoroughly discussing how the OIC
and IsDB could cooperate with Japanese NGOs, as well as how the PMS, OIC,IsDB, JICA, and Japanese government could collaborate together. As the threedays of workshops came to a close, the relationships of trust between participants
had become stronger; four Japanese NGOs that are still active in Afghanistan(Peace Japan Medical Services, the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan, Peace
Winds Japan, and Karez Health and Educational Services), agreed with the OIC,
and the IsDB to seek for future cooperation.
Sophia University hosted all of these events and I think the university played a verysignificant role in facilitating discussions on expanding the irrigation projects by PMS
to other parts of Afghanistan, empowering Afghan people facing severe poverty
and famine. In July 2023, Prime Minister Kishida visited Saudi Arabia and met with
Secretary General of the OIC. They agreed that Japan will cooperate further with the
OIC to support Afghanistan. Furthermore, in September, Ms. Kamikawa was appointed
as Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs. I believe that this process demonstrates that
Sophia University’s activities have helped to enhance cooperation by the Japanese
government, Japanese NGOs, OIC, and IsDB, on alleviating famine in Afghanistan.
Another important factor in saving the Afghan people from famine, in addition
to lifting sanctions, will be access to water. Over the last 20 years, Peace Japan
Medical Services have been using traditional Japanese methods to irrigate about
24,000 hectares of land that had become dried out and desertified due to global
warming and drought. This irrigation enabled agriculture to recover and currently
supports the livelihoods of about one million Afghan farmers. Wherever I went in
Afghanistan, people remembered Dr. Nakamura and were still grateful for his efforts.
If Sophia University can help build relationships between Peace Japan Medical
Services and various other parties, we will be able to deploy its irrigation systemthroughout Afghanistan, as well as in other parts of the Middle East and Africa
where the land is drying out due to global warming, providing access to newsources of water to hundreds of millions of people. I think this would contribute torealizing the SDG value of“Leave no one behind”, by providing“peace and water”
which are vital for sustaining humanity.
This photograph is taken after ameeting on June 14, 2023, with Ms.
Yoko Kamikawa (President of theJapan Parliamentarians Federation
for Population), Tarig Ali Bakheet(the Special Envoy of the SecretaryGeneral of OIC to Afghanistan),
Mohammad Alsaati (Special Advisor
to the President of the IsDB),
Professor Daisaku Higashi and others.
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GOAL 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global
partnership for sustainable development

Interview in Resona Biz Action
Resona Biz Action, a website operated by
Resona Bank, Limited that publishes
information for a corporate audience, visited
the Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion,
Sophia University to conduct interviews.
Resona Biz Action shares business informationthat is of interest to management andemployees of companies and one of the main
themes it covers is the SDGs. As part of this, it conducted interviews that aim toshow the corporate world the perspective that students and educational
institutions have of the SDGs and the way they think.
In the interviews, three student staff members
and a vice president from Sophia University
spoke on topics such as a Generation Z
approach to the SDGs. The student staff
member discussed how they became
interested in the SDGs, the activities of the
Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion, andhow they view SDGs in regard to job hunting.
A clear message was sent to companies, with the members commenting how they
pay particular attention to whether a company’s business itself is sustainable,
whether a company is resilient enough to overcome uncertainty, and whether acompany’s activities regarding the SDGs are genuine or just for show. The vicepresident spoke about the role a university should play in fostering an interestin the SDGs in students and the importance of engaging in industry-governmentacademia initiatives.
He communicated how these initiatives should be approached, with each ofindustry, government, and academia viewing the SDGs as a shared challenge andbringing together their respective knowledge, insight, and resources to create newvalue.
The background behind this interview is a collaboration course on the SDGs heldat the university and supported by the Resona Group. The university started offering
the course in academic year 2022 and it is titled SDGs Challenges and Possibilities:
From a Corporate and Investor Perspective. The course aimed to provide thestudents who will lead the future with skills they will need to solve the actual issues
they will face when they join working society and to support them in polishing theseskills. During the course, students with broad perspectives participated in many
discussions and groupwork activities students with broad perspectives participatedin many discussions and groupwork activities with companies concerning SDG
engagement and new businesses that help to solve social issues.
100Resona recognized that the mentality and enthusiasm of these students had thepower to make an impression on the corporate world and offered an interview.
*The Resona Biz Action article (student edition) can be accessed using the URL below or the QR code to
the right.
The interview with the vice president can be accessed through a link within the article.
https://www.resona-biz.jp/sdgs/interview-sdgs-sophiaschoolcorp-studentstaff-04/

Sophia University Go Beyond x Team Beyond Tokyo
Paralympic Experience Program
At Sophia University’s Sophia Festival 2022, heldfrom November 1 to 4, 2022, Team Beyond, aTokyo-based parasports support project, and
Go Beyond, a student-led Sophia Olympics &Paralympics Project based at Sophia University,
collaborated to provide a parasports experience
program. In addition to a wheelchair basketballathlete program, which featured Yasuhiro Jimbo,
a former member of Japan’s national wheelchairbasketball team, as a guest athlete, festival goers
could also enjoy experiences such as flying disk,
para-athletics (racing wheelchairs), and an alpine skiing experience using VR andother technologies.

https://www.gobeyond-sophia.com/

X: https://twitter.com/gobeyondsophia?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gobeyond_sophia/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gobeyondsophia/?locale=ja_JP

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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Study Tour to Learn About the SDGs in Tanabe City, Wakayama
Prefecture and Become“Connected Minds”– SSICAt Sophia Student Integration Commons (SSIC), various
events, seminars, and workshops are being held withthe aim of fostering communication between students.
One type of event is study tours, which bring together
students from various different backgrounds in orderto deepen their understanding of Japanese culture
and interactions with fellow students. Tanabe City inWakayama Prefecture is not only the central region of
the Kumano Kodo, an area of ancient pilgrimage routes
that has been registered as a World Heritage Site, it
is also home to the Minabe-Tanabe Ume System, asustainable agricultural system that leverages the local
environment to produce Japanese ume plums, which
has been recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural
Heritage System. In 2022, the city was also selected
as an SDGs Future City and a Municipal SDGs Model
Project.
The SSIC collaborated with the Tanabe City Tanabe
Marketing Office and the Tanabe City Kumano Tourism
Bureau and received funding through a Nakajima
Foundation grant, which is an assistance program
operated by the Japan Student Services Organization
to encourage exchange with international students inregional areas of Japan, to hold a Tanabe City Kumano
Study Tour involving a visit to Tanabe City.
Students who participated in the study tour said,“Allof the people we interacted with were not aiming to just develop their own
businesses but to work together to make the entire city prosperous. We could
feel their bonds and love for the local area. I really want to visit again.”and“I’venever been to Wakayama before, but now I feel like I’
ve become a“connectedmind”and in the future, I’ll always keep an eye out for news about Wakayama or
buy products from there in the store.”By actually entering the area, talking withlocal people, experiencing local industries, and walking around the local area, they
developed a deeper understanding of SDG initiatives in the city. In the future, it
is expected that they will become a part of the "connected mind*" of Tanabe Cityand support the SDGs of Tanabe City.
*Connected mind: A term used to describe people who has a diverse connection to a certain area who is
not just a tourist, but also not a relocated resident. Regional areas of Japan are facing a shortage of people
who can carry out regional revitalization activities due to depopulation and aging populations, so it ishoped that people from outside the region, these connected minds, can help support regional revitalization.

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Editor’s Notes- This is the third year since the establishment of the Office of Sophia
Sustainability Promotion and it feels like engagement related to the SDGs at
Sophia is becoming more dynamic each year. Going forward, I hope that we
can expand the scope of our sustainability activities beyond the university andinto the wider community. (Ken Harada)- I am honored to have participated once again in the editing of this report.
The activities being carried out have increased in both number and scope andit makes me really happy to see awareness of the SDGs and sustainability at
Sophia University continuing to grow. (Angela Kim)
- When the report first started, we had to scramble desperately to gather
material on campus activities but sustainability activities within the university
have continued to flourish year on year and now we worry that we might
not be able to fit everything in. Although each individual activity is small, you
can really feel the tremendous power created when all these efforts cometogether. I would like to thank everyone who helped us with the report. (Maki
Ashizawa)- This marks the third sustainability report released by the Office of Sophia
Sustainability Promotion and I am delighted to see that each year the level ofSDGs awareness and initiatives of the university as well as student body has
become more diverse and vigorous. We hope this reports offers a glimpse
into the evolving sustainability ecosystem here at Sophia University. I am
enthusiastic about the prospective sustainable impact that Sophia University ispoised to make within its campuses and beyond. (Poonyaporn Suthamporn)

Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability Report 2022-2023

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Sophia School Corporation
Oﬃce of Sophia Sustainability Promotion
sustainability-co@sophia.ac.jp
Sophia University SDGs＆Sustainability
https://sophia-sdgs.jp/en/
Oﬃce of Sophia Sustainability Promotion
Oﬃcial Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/sophia̲ossp/

Oﬃcial X (Twitter):
https://twitter.com/sophia̲ossp

Communications Team: Angela Kim, Ken Harada, Maki Ashizawa, Poonyaporn Suthamporn

SOPHIA Fund for the Future
Support for SDGs & sustainability promotion
Since its foundation, Sophia University has been committed to promoting sustainability based on the
Catholic spirit of for Others, with Others, which indeed coincides with the philosophy of leaving no one
behind, as stipulated in the SDGs.

The funds raised during this campaign, targeted primarily at promoting sustainability and achieving theSDGs as well as at supporting ecology, people with a disability, LGBT and gender equality, human rights,

health (physical and mental), disaster preparedness, and the like, will be spent on a range of on- andoﬀ-campus awareness raising activities, supporting the implementation of such projects, and revamping
on-campus facilities with universal design. Support for projects planned by student staﬀers of the Oﬃce ofSophia Sustainability Promotion is also included in the spending.

https://giving-sophia.jp/donate̲en/support-for-sdgs-sustainability-promotion/