The University of Hyogo has published this Declaration Concerning SDGs in order to realize safe and peaceful societies and contribute to prosperity and well-being around the world. We pledge to advance highly human-orientated education and research that is deeply rooted in respect for living things, and to bring together the knowledge of various fields and strive to achieve these goals.

While human activities have caused major changes in the global environment, the realization of a sustainable society is a pressing issue around the world.
As the effects of human-caused climate change become more severe, we are seeing widespread adverse effects on humans and loss of ecosystems.
In order to deal with such a crisis on a global scale, the United Nations Sustainable Development summit was hosted in 2015. It established universal goals for all international societies, otherwise known as “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and were unanimously adopted with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is based on the fundamental principle of “leave no one behind”, and calls for conscious participation of everyone as global citizens.

The University of Hyogo is a public university that includes various departments, postgraduate courses, graduate schools, as well as affiliated high schools and junior high schools. Therefore, we promote education and research that prioritizes the fusion of different fields, and strive to foster human resources who will contribute to the realization of SDGs. That is to say, we strive to educate human resources who possess a strong sense of humanity, an understanding of public welfare, the ability to seek out problems, as well as global literacy, and who possess the creativity and independence to be able to conduct themselves in local and international societies.

However, changes in societies and the environment, such as emerging pandemics and climate change, have vastly surpassed our imagination.
Sustainability of environments, economies, and societies in various regions around the world is currently facing a crisis.
To that end, the University of Hyogo has decided to have everyone involved at the university deepen and expand their conventional education and field research through the framework of SDGs and have everyone bring their capabilities together to tackle further achievements in SDGs.

The University of Hyogo has created a cutting-edge foundation for research through the fusion of different fields. It allows researchers in fields related to energy, GX (Green Transformation), biodiversity, and natural disaster prevention to come together to solve the following problems.

Energy problems are central to the problems faced around the world.
Issues such as employment, food production, national security, water sources, and climate change are connected to energy sustainability.
In order to solve energy problems, we advance research into the construction of economic social systems to achieve carbon neutrality utilizing GX.
The global environment is supported by the blessings <- odd word choice (ecosystem services) created by the ecosystems that are supported by biodiversity.

With the interpretation that the health of living beings, such as humans, and the health of ecosystems are one in the same, we strive to preserve biodiversity.
Also, the University of Hyogo has earnestly been tackling research into natural disaster prevention and recovery based on what we have learned from the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995.
We will further expand on the results of such efforts and push for coordination between various fields, in areas such as the environment and public policy, and work to realize safer and more peaceful living for everyone.

The keys for progress in these initiatives are the partnerships mentioned in Goal 17 of the SDGs.
The University of Hyogo contributes to solving social problems in cooperation with local citizens, global academic societies, government offices, businesses, and other entities.

March 23, 2022
The University of Hyogo