Laying the Groundwork: 2022 SDGs Project Commences

Organized and steered by Prof. Goi and Prof. Hakeem, the SDGs Project course held in the fall brings together a group of international perspectives to address issues in ESG areas brought forth by corporate and governmental stakeholders. The course connects elements of academia and industry, providing parties representing corporate, governmental, and educational interests an opportunity to interact and synergize their skillset in order to solve issues faced by world.

In previous years, the course has invited representatives from well-known Japanese corporations, such as Toyota and Ricoh. This year, Ricoh returns to our school to continue to benefit from international insights and ideas.

Day 1 of the course brought the stakeholders together on campus and over Zoom to discuss the issues at hand, find the relevant lines of inquiry, and begin considering the research areas. The participants will take part in case method lectures providing the tools they will need to develop practical and effective proposals for Ricoh and companies like it.

With communication and translation between the Japanese- and English-speaking parties being a group effort, the course provides a deep dive into the realities of doing business: managing resources, meeting expectations, and dealing with multicultural and diverse teams.