International Academic Consortium for Sustainable Cities
From different perspectives, "cities" hold the key for the sustainability of world society. Currently, half of the world population lives in cities, consumes 75% of the world's energy, and produces 75% of greenhouse gases, becoming the cause of global environmental problems. Also, due to the population shift from rural to urban areas, particularly the enlargement of slums in cities, etc., the spread of poverty and sanitation problems are worsening, especially in developing countries. In addition, the urban landscape, city amenities, environmental and pollution problems, sound management by city governments, etc., are constantly increasing problems that need to be solved.
Therefore, universities located in urban areas are requested to fill a new role. Universities with intellectual resources, by cooperating with city governments, NGOs, NPOs, and international organizations, should solve problems faced by their city. Moreover, universities are poised to contribute to the accomplishment of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) established by the United Nations in the year 2000, and in the process, build an organic relationship with city governments and citizens, open their region to the world, and be reborn as universities that contribute to both their region and the world.
By having this kind of problem awareness, an Academic Consortium for the Development of Sustainable Cities was established.
Consortium Themes
Objective: To contribute to the solid development of cities by establishing a "university consortium which aims at the sustainability of cities"
1. Effective use and sharing, accumulation, and systematization of experiences and intellectual resources of universities.
2. Partnership of local and foreign universities.Implementation of joint research, exchange of students and professors
3. Cities cooperation network that considers industry-academia-goverment collaboration and continuation of activities.
By implementing these projects, the university contributes through the establishment of a model to solve urban problems.
Contents of the Projects
* Environment
* Infrastructure
* MDGs (Millenium Development Goals)
* Cities and Universities
* Urban Plannning
* ICT(Information and Communication Technology)
* Disaster etc.