Details of the Initiative

The SDGs emphasize the need to protect the global environment while pursuing prosperity, and to “leave no one behind” in order to create a social foundation for people to live a human life. Although there is a tendency to think that economic growth and the preservation of the global environment are contradictory, our goal is to create a well-balanced society through earth-friendly green technology. At this time, we are conducting research on the integration of science and technology from the perspective of social systems, such as policies, laws, and regulations, and financial measures, which are essential for the implementation of science and technology in society. We are also focusing on measures against carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean, which causes ocean acidification that is rarely reported in Japan, as well as measures against plastic waste in the great inland nature.

We are working with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and other organizations to promote support for environmentally friendly green technology in developing countries. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, we hosted graduate students from our overseas partner school Universiti Teknologi Malaysia and provided them with technical guidance under the Sakura Science Plan of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). We plan to promote exchanges with countries such as Kenya and Zimbabwe once we can travel freely.

Carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, is dissolved in seawater and affects the growth of shellfish and corals. This is called ocean acidification, and it’s an international problem. We are conducting research to selectively separate and collect CO2 by attaching a thin plastic membrane to a large water purifier.　
Under the Sakura Science Plan of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), we hosted graduate students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, an overseas partner of our university, and provided them with technical guidance on the measurement and evaluation method of the new standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). We support the spread of this method in Malaysia.
This is a commemorative photo with members of graduate students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia who came to Meiji University under the Sakura Science Plan project. An international joint research project is also underway, and graduate students from both sides are coming and going to deepen exchanges. I hope that grass-roots activities will develop into great exchanges across generations.