Okayama University, a national university corporation, held the “SDGs and Human Resources for the Future Symposium” on October 25, 2024 at the Co-Creation and Co-Creation Commons (OUX) on the university’s Tsushima Campus. Approximately 100 people from various positions and generations, including President Yasutomo Nasu, former President Hiroshi Makino, students, faculty, staff, local governments, and business people, participated in the event and deepened exchanges.

The symposium was intended to acquaint the audience with the efforts of the university’s students who are active in the fields of “SDGs” and “human resource development,” which former President Makino worked tirelessly on during his tenure, through presentations, panel discussions, and poster displays. The reception held after the symposium also included a report on former President Makiino’s decoration of the Order of Merit.

The first keynote speaker was Yasuyuki Wakita, president of TsudoiBa Inc. and the first director of the Entrepreneurship Club, a group of student volunteers and alumnus of TsudoiBa. He talked about his own experiences as a student and his career choices. Citing a caricature based on Aesop’s fable of the father and son going to sell their donkey, he said, “It is difficult to convince all people. That is why we should take a step forward to what we want to do without worrying about what others think.” He concluded with these words. His humorous presentation drew applause from the audience.

Next, representatives from four organizations, “Entrepreneurship Club,” “DS Club,” “OU! All of them not only explained their initiatives, but also shared their own experiences and feelings, making their presentations rich in content despite the short time they had.

Following the presentations, a panel discussion was held among students from the groups, former President Makino as commentator, and Vice President Mitsunobu Kano as moderator. They exchanged opinions on questions such as, “What motivated you to take the first step to start your current activities? Former President Makino reflected and commented on how he was one of the first to incorporate the SDGs into Okayama University.

　Finally, President Nasu gave his comments and closing remarks. He said, “When we first introduced the SDGs to the university, there were times when people did not accept them, but as we continued to do so, the SDGs became more widely accepted.