On November 15 – December 3, the Organization of Global Affairs, Kanazawa University held “Japan-Eurasian Training Course towards SDGs”, which was cohosted by Kazakhstan National MAB Committee, and funded by the SAKURA Science Program of JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency).

29 students from Eurasian universities（refer to ※1）and 6 students from Japan Inter University Network for MAB Programme (JU-MAB) member universities (Kyoto Univ., Ehime Univ., Univ. of Tsukuba, Yokohama National Univ., Miyazaki Univ., and Kanazawa Univ.) participated in the course, and learned about biodiversity, nature conservation and sustainable development from the UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserves under coordination of Associate Professor Mammadova Aida.

It was a three-week training course. On the first week of the course, students took real-time lectures provided from nine countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Russia, and Japan. During the second and third week, they took on-demand lectures and learned about the harmony and symbiosis between nature and regional development from four cases of Japanese UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (Mount Hakusan BR, Minakami BR, Aya BR and Mount Odaigahara, Mount Omine and Osugidani BR). (refer to ※2)

At the end of the course, we held the online exchange conference and provided the platform to connect all lecturers and students together. They had lively discussions about various SDGs goals. This was unique opportunity to communicate directly and ask all concerned questions. We have received very positive feedback from professors and students, about the direct communication, and that the entire course was very helpful for the students to understand the relationship between Human and Nature and contribute for SDGs. We also, received many calls from the partner universities to continue such kind of online course in future as well.

※1：12 organizations from 7 countries
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Caspian University, Institute of Zoology of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, National University of Uzbekistan, Institute of Zoology of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tajik National University, Institute of Zoology and Parasitology of Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, University of Latvia, Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences, Altai State University, Irkutsk State University

※2：List of lecturers
Ilina Viktoriya (Kazakhstan National MAB Committee)
Roman Jashenko (Institute of Zoology CS MES Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan National MAB Committee)
Oleg Kashkarov (Uzbekistan Society for the Protection of Birds)
Ilya Domashov (Adam University)
Toomas Kokovkin (UNESCO MAB Focal Point for Estonia)
Liga Ozolina-Molla (Latvia State University)
Anda Mezgaile (Vidzeme University of Applied Science)
Abdusattor Saidov (Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan)
Tatiana Akimova (Altaisky Biosphere Reserve)
Kjerssti Isdal (Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve)
Mamoru Kanzaki (Kyoto University)
Tetsu Sato (Ehime University)
Hiroyuki Matsuda (Yokohama National University)
Yoshihiko Iida (University of Tsukuba)
Aya Nishiwaki (Miyazaki University)
Aida Mammadova（Kanazawa University）