Building a Sustainable Development Educational and Research Agenda

Abstract

Abstract: While building the necessary institutional and human resource capacity for sustainable development represents an important global issue, it remains one of if not the most critical issue in the Asia-Pacific region. The ecological consequences of rapid industrialization have become all too visible in recent years as the region’s natural resources and biodiversity continue to deteriorate at an alarming rate. At the same time, there has been an increasing call for universities and academic institutions, as the main training ground for the next generation of regional political and business leaders, to respond to this policy challenge in a proactive manner. The specific modality of the sustainable development research and educational agenda may vary between countries and universities, but as institutional symbols of new ideas and policy innovation, universities and research institutes will have to take more concrete steps toward environmentally sustainable development. Using the experiences of Japan’s Keio University at the Shonan Fujisawa campus, Thailand’s Asian Institute of Technology, and United Nations University’s Institute of Advanced Studies, this article discusses the role of universities and research institutes in promoting human resource and institutional capacity building, and designing an effective sustainable development research and educational agenda. Three key issues will guide this institutional development. First, what role if any will APEC play in sustainable development research and education? Second, how will the concerns of the private sector and nongovernmental organizations be reflected in sustainable development research and education? Third, what is the future of regional academic cooperation in sustainable development research and education ?