Okayama University students TSUYAMA Khaya (4th year, Discovery Program for Global Learners) and DEGUCHI Anna (3rd year, Faculty of Letters) participated online in the One Young World (OYW) Summit 2021 Munich from July 22-25 as members of the Japanese delegation.

Okayama University has served as an official partner of OYW since OYW 2015 held in Bangkok, Thailand, and has dispatched two students and YOKOI Atsufumi, Okayama University Senior Vice President for Global Engagement Strategy, UNESCO Chair holder, OYW Japan Committee Director, as an observer each year. 

This year, it was newly decided that the Consortium of Six National Universities in Japan (SixERS) would participate in the OYW, and as representatives of the consortium, Kanazawa University and Nagasaki University, together with Okayama University participated in the OYW. (SixERS comprised of Chiba University, Niigata University, Kanazawa University, Okayama University, Nagasaki University and Kumamoto University) 

A total of 1, 800 peopleーincluding OYW ambassadors and the world’s leading entrepreneurs, politicians, and celebritiesーfrom over 190 countries participated in the summit, which was held in a hybrid format as a result of the ongoing pandemic. 

Under the framework of the United Nations SDGs, the summit’s sessions and workshops focused on current world issues such as freedom and civil rights, climate change, conflict resolution, education, international business, and lessons and opportunities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

At the opening ceremony, held at Olympiapark in Munich, German Chancellor Angela MERKEL and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas BACH gave the opening speeches, followed by speeches by prominent world leaders and country representatives such as Professor Muhammad YUNUS, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Grameen Bank; Mary ROBINSON, former president of Ireland; and Dame Vivian HUNT, managing partner for McKinsey & Company. 

Mr. TSUYAMA and Ms. DEGUCHI participated in various sessions, workshops, and networking events during the 4-day summit, engaging in lively discussions tackling different social issues and their possible solutionsーincluding goals for sustainable development in the “new normal” emerging in the with-corona and post-corona world, and next generation leadership goals and practices.

BMW Welt hosted the closing ceremony, where Munich Mayor Katrin HABENSCHADEN handed over the baton to OYW Japan Committee Representative Director OKUBO Kimihito. The venue also broadcast video messages from Tokyo Mayor KOIKE Yuriko and actress, model, singer, and OYW Japan Special Ambassador SUMIRE. 

Next year, the summit is scheduled to be held in Tokyo in late May.