On October 28, Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of the United Nations University (UNU) and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, visited Okayama University for the first time. He delivered a special lecture on the theme, "The Role of the UNU in Promoting the SDGs," based on the latest developments from the "Summit of the Future" held recently at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Around 130 participants attended the event, including Okayama University students, faculty, staff, local high school students, and corporate representatives. In his lecture, UNU Rector Marwala discussed the history of the UN and the role of higher education and addressed the current challenges in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. He strongly emphasized the importance of young people actively engaging in decision-making processes. Furthermore, he answered questions collected from the audience through an opinion aggregation app.

Before the lecture, UNU Rector Marwala and YAMAGUCHI Shinobu, Director of the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), paid a courtesy visit to President NASU Yasutomo. Executive Director MIMURA Yukari (Planning, General Affairs, and Evaluation), ABE Masanobu (Digital Transformation and Green Transformation), and Vice President YOKOI Atsufumi (Global Engagement) explained Okayama University’s initiatives, including the digital garden city nation project. UNU Rector Marwala also shared his views on UNU's initiatives and the promotion of the SDGs.

In addition, UNU Rector Marwala visited the Field Science Center, where he listened to presentations by Okayama University students and researchers who use artificial intelligence (AI) in their research, a field also the expertise of UNU Rector Marwala. He also visited the Okayama University Visionary Commons (OUX) and received an explanation about the building's structure. After the lecture, UNU Rector Marwala had a discussion session with Japanese students, international students, and young female scientists, listening attentively to their stories and responding thoughtfully to their questions, further strengthening the exchange.

Okayama University was one of the first universities to incorporate SDG principles into its university management. Moving forward, as a research university promoting the SDGs, the university will continue to advance university operations with a focus on SDGs achievement while also promoting efforts to build more integrated partnerships with the local and international communities.