Springer Nature and the University of Tokyo partner to organize SDGs Symposium 2022 on energy systems for a sustainable future
An SDGs symposium will take place online on March 29, 2022, providing a platform for researchers in Japan and publishers to discuss “Energy systems at the interface of multiple Sustainable Development Goals: technologies and responses for a sustainable future”.
Tokyo, 1 March 2022
Springer Nature and the University of Tokyo will be hosting a symposium to bring together researchers in Japan, alongside members of the academic, business, civil society and policy communities to critically discuss aspects of the energy systems needed for a sustainable future. This event marks the third SDGs symposium organised in partnership between Springer Nature and the University of Tokyo.
The symposium will take place online on March 29, 2022, and will consist of a number of talks from some of Japan’s renowned researchers working at the interface of energy systems and SDGs, to actively discuss how research can better address the SDGs and explore effective solutions with high societal relevance and impact. Registration for this event is free and anyone interested in energy systems and sustainability research is welcome to join.
Speaking on the symposium, Ed Gerstner, Director of Journal Policy & Strategy of Springer Nature and Chair of Springer Nature’s SDG programme said:
“Energy is central to human societies, and academics, policymakers and practitioners see the transition to clean and affordable energy systems as a priority area for achieving the SDGs. There is an urgent need to generate interdisciplinary knowledge to understand how relations between current energy systems and ongoing climatic change interact with each other.
“As a publisher of journals such as Nature, Nature Energy, Nature Sustainability, and Sustainability Science, we are firmly committed to advancing the discovery and dissemination of evidence-based sustainability research. We are delighted to once again have this opportunity to work with The University of Tokyo, which through its Future Society Initiative, is supporting effective collaboration to contribute to and advance the discussions around the SDGs. This symposium will provide a key platform for us all to join together to address the systematic barriers that researchers face, and what governments, funders, research institutions and publishers can do to help them. The aim - to create open debates so that we can advance knowledge and explore solutions to tackle some of our world's most pressing problems.”
Also speaking on the symposium, Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo said:
“When people with different backgrounds and expertise gather and discuss the same questions, it provides a fertile ground for coming up with new ideas. I believe that the cycle of dialogue and mutual confidence will open up a bright new future. The University of Tokyo released in September 2021, UTokyo Compass, a new statement of our university’s guiding principles. Green Transformation (GX) is one of the key pillars of this action plan. In response to a call by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), we joined the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign, becoming the first Japanese national university to do so. This is just one example of the concrete steps we are taking toward the realization of GX. Both Springer Nature and the University of Tokyo are keenly aware of the need for partnerships, transdisciplinary cooperation, and inclusiveness to catalyse broader societal impact and achieve the SDGs. Based on this common understanding, we have forged a partnership and are co-organizing the SDGs Symposium 2022 on the theme of Energy Systems on March 29. We hope that this will be a wonderful opportunity to expand our dialogue with you further.”
Structure of the symposium
The symposium will consist of three parts: two keynote lectures, five research presentations and a panel discussion. The keynote speakers will be Hiroshi Segawa from the University of Tokyo and Ed Gerstner of Springer Nature. Research presentations will be delivered by Akari Hayashi of Kyushu University, Masahiro Sugiyama and Muhammad Aziz, both from the University of Tokyo, Gregory Trencher of Kyoto University and Nicky Dean of Nature Energy. A panel discussion comprising the keynote and presentation speakers, will be moderated by Yukari Takamura of the University of Tokyo.
In the lead up to the symposium, a special interview between the President of the University of Tokyo, Teruo Fujii and Springer Nature’s chair of the SDG programme, Ed Gerstner, discussing the significance of collaboration between diverse parties for tackling the SDGs, is published on March 1, 2022 in The Source and in the March issue of Nature Digest (Japanese).
The event program and speaker profiles can be viewed in the event page.
More on Springer Nature’s commitment to, and engagement with the SDG’s can be found at our SDG programme website.
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Note to Editors:
United Nations SDGs
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) address the key global challenges of our times, and this symposium will address the following SDGs, which intersect strongly with each other: SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 9 Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, SDG 12 Responsible Consumption & Production, and SDG 13 Climate Action.
Event details
Event name: Energy systems at the interface of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): technologies and responses for a sustainable future
Date: Monday, March 29, 2022, 16:30 – 19:30 JST
Venue: Online (Zoom)
Organizers: Springer Nature, The University of Tokyo
Language: English (with simultaneous interpretation in Japanese)
Target audience: Researchers, policymakers, students, anyone interested in energy systems, SDGs, sustainability research and science
Registration fee: Free
Event URL: https://www.springernature.com/jp/campaign/202203-EN
The interview article can be viewed from the following links:
- The Source: https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/the-source/blog/blogposts-communicating-research/coming-together-to-tackle-the-sdgs/20164506
- Nature Digest (Japanese): https://www.natureasia.com/ja-jp/collections/public-relations/ndigest20220301
The Source is a blog site which provides insight and discussion on publishing in the academic world.
Nature Digest, a monthly Japanese language publication based on the news and news features sections of Nature.
References
Press release - Celebrating Nature’s 150th Anniversary at the University of Tokyo
Event reports of previous SDGs symposia held in 2019 and 2021 are available on the natureasia.com website.
Springer Nature's Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Programme aims to connect the researchers who are tackling the world’s toughest challenges with the practitioners in policy and business who desperately need those insights to achieve their goals in improving the world, by making our publishing activities more visible to our key communities through a variety of channels.
We have dedicated SDG hubs which contain research and resources relevant to each of the SDGs.
Hubs related to this symposium are as follows:
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/sdg-programme/sdg7
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/sdg-programme/sdg9
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption & Production
https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/sdg-programme/sdg12
SDG 13: Climate Action
https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/sdg-programme/sdg13
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The University of Tokyo established the UTokyo FSI in July 2017, under the direct leadership of the university president. The aim of the initiative is to promote effective collaboration and to contribute to the future of humanity and the planet, based on the university’s mission of serving the global public as outlined in the University of Tokyo Charter.
Ayako Miyazaki | Corporate Affairs | Springer Nature
ayako.miyazaki@springernature.com | +81 (0)3 4533-8204
