Starting this fiscal year, OUIK has launched a new initiative aimed at youth called the ” Leadership Development Program for the Next Generation: Changing the World from Kanazawa, Ishikawa.” In light of the urgent and long-term impacts of various global issues such as sustainable development and climate change, opportunities for youth participation and education in these fields are increasingly vital. As a regionally rooted United Nations academic and educational institution, UNU-IAS OUIK aims to cultivate globally-minded next-generation leaders who can connect various challenges spanning global issues and local environmental, social, and economic contexts, proposing solutions through compelling dialogue.
- Objectives of the Program
- To nurture regional youth leaders who address various global issues, including sustainable development and climate change:
- Enhancing youth knowledge regarding global challenges, such as sustainable development and climate change, at both global and local levels.
- Improving essential skills for effectively tackling global issues, including networking, critical thinking, research, and effective presentation.
- To position youth as key stakeholders in decision-making related to various global issues, thereby promoting their engagement.
- To empower youth to leverage the experiences and knowledge gained from this initiative to propose solutions to local challenges, contributing to a sustainable future for Kanazawa City and Ishikawa Prefecture.
- Program Details This initiative is currently providing training courses focused on various global challenges, such as sustainable development and climate change, to 13 high school students in Kanazawa selected in April. Training topics have included local environmental issues, biodiversity and biocultural diversity, climate change challenges, and presentation skills in English. Simultaneously, the students are exploring solutions to local problems, with their findings scheduled to be presented in September. Furthermore, several participants will be selected to represent Kanazawa as youth leaders at international conferences addressing global challenges.
