On February 21, during the university's departmental liaison meeting, presentations were held for the initiatives of two student groups that received the Okayama University SDGs Promotion Award for the 2023 academic year. The Okayama University SDGs Promotion Award aims to commend outstanding efforts in the SDGs and promote initiatives related to SDGs within the university. This marks the fourth consecutive year of the award. For this year, recipients were determined through a recommendation process in four categories: "Education," "Research," "Other Workplace Contributions," and "Student Groups." Presentations were made by the recipients in the "Student Groups" category, namely "The World Kitchen" and "Frontier School."

Firstly, representatives of The World Kitchen Executive Committee, OKADA Kanna (Discovery Program for Global Learners, 2nd year) and FUJII Rena (same), presented their initiatives. They explained that The World Kitchen Executive Committee hosts multicultural food events to provide a space for exchange beyond the boundaries of communities, including residents, students, companies, and locals, aiming to create a town where everyone can live comfortably.

Next, the representative of Frontier School, UCHIDA Kanato (School of Education, 4th year), presented their initiatives. Frontier School provides exciting learning opportunities for middle school students. They described how they transformed a closed school building into a secret base for learning through DIY efforts and implemented exploration programs where middle school students can pursue what they want to challenge.

Following the departmental liaison meeting, President NASU Yasutomo presented certificates and awards to the students, along with a message expressing his hopes for them to continue their activities with youthful vigor.

In future departmental liaison meetings, presentations by the recipients in the "Education," "Research," and "Other Workplace Contributions" categories are also scheduled.