Know the connection between research and SDGs. TEIKYO SDGs Report We will unravel how the research activities conducted by Teikyo University professors are linked to the SDGs.

This teacher

Senior Assistant Professor at Teikyo University, Faculty of Economics

Lisa Nagai​

What kind of teacher?

He specializes in environmental history, ecological history, and the history of Northeast China, and studied abroad in China during Graduate School. He is well-versed in the history of the forest business in Northeast China, and conducts research tracing the historical background from the current state of the economy and resources. He became a specially appointed researcher at Osaka University Graduate School, and in 2014 Senior Assistant Professor at Dalian University in China, and engaged in research at the Kyushu University Museum, before assuming his current position in 2020.

WHAT ARE 17GOALS OF SDGs?

Use history and culture as guideposts to learn about the “now” of the world and take action The societies and natural environments of countries and regions around the world are easily tossed about by economics, wars, disasters, etc., and there are many issues common to the SDGs. At Nagai's seminar, seminar students took the lead in activities such as donating school lunches to children in developing countries, researching the culture and history of developing countries and appealing the current situation.

Seminar students carry out a TFT activity that allows you to donate when you order a school cafeteria menu

Nagai's seminar carried out a TABLE FOR TWO (commonly known as TFT) activity at the cafeteria on Hachioji Campus. (When you order a designated menu item, 20 yen equivalent to the cost of one school lunch is donated to an Asian or African country.) They also exhibited panels summarizing the culture and economic situation of Kenya, one of the donor countries.

Through the activity, I think about "Why can't I provide school lunches without receiving donations?"

All these activities are carried out mainly by seminar students. This is because Professor Nagai wanted us to accurately understand the value and meaning of TFT activities based on the historical background, why we cannot provide school lunches without receiving donations.

The environment and the economy are closely related, and history is a hint for grasping the current situation.

Professor Nagai specializes in environmental history, with a particular focus on the northeast region of China. During a short-term study abroad in Shanxi Province, he witnessed with his own eyes how the historically rich forest area had turned into a desert to the point where even weeds could not grow. Unraveling history reveals that in the northeastern region of China, a huge amount of timber was used during the Russo-Japanese War and the opening of the South Manchurian Railway. Knowing history helps us understand the current situation.

In modern global society, it is necessary to consider social issues on a global scale

In addition, in developing countries, the economic structure of the colonial period remains, and there is a situation where there is no choice but to grow a single crop as a raw material supply area. However, it is not uncommon for villages to suddenly fall into famine if crops do not grow due to disasters or conflicts. How developing countries can create an independent future in the global economy is a global issue.

By knowing the history and structure, future students may open the door to the future

Considering the historical background, we can see that the base of the SDGs is extremely complex. By knowing this history and structure, it is possible that in the future, the students who implemented the project will get a job at an international company that seriously tackles the SDGs, or become an entrepreneur who tackles social issues. The first step in contributing to the realization of the SDGs is for students to open up a new future.

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