Blazing Trails: 2022 SDGs Project Wraps Up With Proposals on Day 4

After extensive investigation and research conducted through fieldwork, the participants of the SDGs Project course pitched their proposals before a panel of judges on the fourth and final day of the course. The esteemed evaluators included stakeholders from academia and business, each bridging the gap between international opportunities and their realization in the Japanese business landscape in unique ways:

• Prof. Dr. Masaki Umejima of Keio University, whose research specializations include energy and mobile communication systems and entrepreneurial education;
• Ena resident Mr. Ken Ozawa, manager of accreditation & institutional relations for the NUCB Undergraduate and Business Schools;
• Mr. Georg K. Löer, Representative Director & President, NRW Japan K.K, Trade & Investment Agency of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Following the proposals, remarks from the judges, along with those from course instructors Prof. Goi and Prof. Hakeem, provided valuable insights for participants on how their ideas would be received and the feasibility of their suggestions from a practitioner perspective.

As businesses transform to align with the evolving needs of their customer base, more and more will turn to consultants specializing in ESG issues offering strategic guidance on operationalizing SDGs. Courses like the SDGs Project course will produce leaders and consultants who can steer businesses toward sustainable innovation and development, securing a rich and prosperous future for generations yet to come.

About the SDGs Project

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 skillsets in order to solve urgent issues faced by global business.

Emulating the principles of the "Immersion Experience Project" (IXP) by Harvard Business School, the SDGs Project course employs an exploratory and grounded learning approach through interactions with stakeholders and research done in the field. Data collected through surveys, interviews, and group consultation throughout the fieldwork portion of the course provides a confluence of information sources enabling intensive contextual studies informing the consulting proposals for stakeholders.