Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and UNITAR Conclude Memorandum on Cooperation

UNITAR staff pointing to a student who is raising his hand in class

Photo courtesy of APU

23 December 2022, Hiroshima, Japan – On October 7, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) signed a collaboration and cooperation memorandum. The two institutions aim to strengthen their cooperation through development projects in entrepreneurship and digital technology.

To provide UNITAR trainees and alumni, APU students, and others with new learning opportunities, we will share practical knowledge and promote exchanges.

Upcoming Projects

APU faculty and students will participate in UNITAR’s training programmes, events, and seminar
UNITAR staff, trainees, and alumni will participate in APU classes, lectures, and symposiums
APU graduate school students will join a new internship programme.

Representatives’ comments

APU President Haruaki DEGUCHI

I often say our university is like a United Nations for young people, that is, a place where students come from more than 100 countries and regions around the world. That is why it is of great significance and pleasure for us to agree with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). We appreciate the cooperation in the past, and we would like to use this agreement as an opportunity to strengthen our bond and work together to nurture people who can contribute to the sustainable development of the world and the resolution of its problems.

UNITAR Executive Director Nikhil SETH

We are pleased to formally establish our longstanding cooperative relationship with Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. I am looking forward to sharing information and participating in projects to foster the leadership and values of the younger generation to solve global issues.

APU and UNITAR collaborative efforts before concluding the memorandum

January 2008 Asia Pacific Conference: Multi-faceted discussions on the cultural foundations of Asia, especially the similarities and diversity of East Asian cultures, and the confluence and divergence of cultures
November 2012 RCAPS seminar by Nassrine Azimi (UNITAR)
October 2013 Tree planting ceremony for peace, at APU
May 2017 Thinking about World Peace – Social Collaboration Seminar/Special Lecture by the Ambassador of Palestine to Japan and an expert from UNITAR
October 2021 Career Seminar “Working at an International Organization”
March 2022 Webinar for UNITAR trainees by Prof. Michael Cortez, College of International Management

About APU

Since its founding, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) has remained one of the most diverse campuses in all of Japan. Its student body comprises about 50 percent international students, who currently represent 102 countries and regions. Furthermore, its diverse faculty provides students with internationally accredited education that meets global standards. These accreditations include International AACSB, AMBA, and TedQual from the United Nations World Tourism Organization. For these factors, APU ranked no.1 for Environment in the Times Higher Education Japan University Rankings 2022.

From April 2023, as part of the “New APU,” a new College of Sustainability and Tourism will open with to develop human resources who, through studying both theory and practice, can contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

About UNITAR

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a United Nations agency that promotes decision-making for a better future through training individuals and groups. Established in 1963, UNITAR reached 370,139 learners through its courses in 2021. In addition to its headquarters in Geneva, UNITAR has offices in New York, Hiroshima, and Bonn, as well as other networks around the world. UNITAR Division for Prosperity shares world-class knowledge and skills related to entrepreneurship, leadership, trade and finance, digital technologies, and disarmament. Especially from its Hiroshima Office and in training for learners from conflict and post-conflict countries, UNITAR incorporates Hiroshima’s rise from the atomic bombing to the current peaceful city as a model of reconstruction. In 2019, the UNITAR Association was established as a public support organization in Japan. It supports UNITAR through publicity and awareness-raising in Japan.

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