Hokkaido University Sustainability Declaration

In preparation for the 150th anniversary of its founding in 2026, Hokkaido University formulated the “Future Strategy for the 150th Anniversary of Hokkaido University” in 2014, and is striving to become “Hokkaido University that contributes to solving global challenges.” The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 International Goals to be achieved from 2016 to 2030, which were set out in the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly the following year. These goals represent the challenges that must be addressed for the sustainable growth of humanity. They are based on core principles including “Leave no one behind,” “Peace, human rights, and well-being,” and “Harmony of economy, society, and environment.”

In this context, the University announced the President’s Policy, “Aiming to be an Unparalleled University,” in December 2020. In March 2021, the University issued the “Joint Statement of Global University Leaders” for the 2030 Agenda. In August 2021, the University established the Institute for the Advancement of Sustainability, a new university-wide entity, to establish a framework for promoting sustainability. Furthermore, the University set “Contributing to Achieving the SDGs” as one of its goals for the Fourth Period of Mid-Term Goals and Mid-Term Plan (FY2022-27). In December 2021, the University issued “Hokkaido Universityʼs Statement on the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion,” expressing its commitment to respect diversity and practice harmonious coexistence. The “Hokkaido University Global Vision 2040,” formulated in the same month, also includes the “Pursuit of Sustainability” as one of its strategic goals. The “HU VISION 2030,” formulated in July 2023, further aims to promote “sustainable well-being in society.”

Hokkaido University traces its origins to the Sapporo Agricultural College, established in 1876 to develop agricultural technologies for cold regions and foster human resources for the development of Hokkaido. Dr. William S. Clark, the first vice principal, laid the foundation of the University by introducing the “Clark Spirit” of “lofty ambition” and a curriculum combining both specialized education and
character development. Dr. Shosuke Sato, the first graduate of Sapporo Agricultural College, served as the college principal, dean of the Agricultural College of Tohoku Imperial University, and president of Hokkaido Imperial University, for nearly 40 years until 1930. He modelled the management methods of agricultural and technical universities established in every state of the United States, developed extensive national land into experimental farms and experimental forests to be used as essential assets for education and research and established the foundation for the University to become an imperial university with 4 science faculties. Currently, Hokkaido University is a core comprehensive research university with 12 faculties and 21 graduate schools, both the largest numbers of all the national university corporations. This is why the University boasts an extensive and verdant Sapporo campus and one of the world’s largest experimental forests. We recognize that our current campus and fields are located on land that was once the living grounds of the indigenous Ainu people, and we must pursue not only environmental sustainability but also the restoration and sustainability of cultural diversity.

Building on our history of development and the natural environment of Hokkaido, the University has developed strengths, particularly in field sciences such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, as well as environmental science. We are actively engaged in world-class education and research in key areas of sustainability expressed by the SDGs, including food production, biodiversity, environmental conservation, and climate change. These efforts in education, research, and community engagement are embodied in the University’s four basic guiding principles of education and research: “Frontier Spirit,” “Global Perspectives,” “All-Round Education,” and “Practical Learning.”

Grounded in this history, we will create every opportunity for every member of the university community, including students, faculty, staff, and administration to improve their capabilities through educational programs on sustainability including on-campus training and systems to support self-development. We encourage members of our community to realize that their activities are connected to sustainability and strive to create an environment in which they can maximize their potential by acting with pride and dignity. Through this we will promote on-campus unity through sustainability as our common language, to improve the University’s overall capabilities, and achieve our ambition of becoming “Hokkaido University that contributes to solving global challenges.” We strive to foster ethics of integrity and fairness as critical values to achieving sustainability. Through these efforts, we aim to deepen our contribution to solving global challenges, to become a core institution within our community, and to cultivate engagement and empathy with the world outside of our university gates, thereby further increasing the University’s social impact. In this spirit, we hereby proclaim the “Hokkaido University Sustainability Declaration.”

August 1st, 2024
HOUKIN Kiyohiro
President of Hokkaido University,
National University Corporation

Hokkaido University’s Aspiration through the Realization of the Sustainability Declaration

In the Hokkaido University Sustainability Declaration, we commit to becoming the “Hokkaido University that contributes to solving global challenges.” To achieve our aspiration, we will create every possible opportunity for every member of the university community, including students, faculty, staff and administration, to improve their capabilities through educational programs on sustainability including on-campus training and systems to support self-development. We encourage members of our community to realize that their activities are connected to sustainability and strive to create an environment in which they can maximize their potential by acting with pride and dignity. Through this, we will promote on-campus unity through sustainability as our common language, to improve the University’s overall capabilities and achieve our ambition of becoming “Hokkaido University that contributes to solving global challenges.” We foster ethics of integrity and fairness as critical values to achieving sustainability. Through these efforts, we aim to deepen our contribution to solving global challenges, to become a core institution within our community, and to cultivate engagement and empathy with the world outside of our university gates, thereby further increasing the University’s social impact.

Through the realization of this Declaration, Hokkaido University aims to become:

• A university with the spirit of Dr. William S. Clark’s “Lofty Ambition” as its backbone. A university that is vibrant, healthy, trustworthy, and deeply engaged with and respectful of various stakeholders. A university that confronts challenges with a sense of unity among all members of its community. A university that cultivates interdisciplinarity, leadership, and a diverse and inclusive campus culture grounded in sustainability.
• A university that maintains the shared understanding that many of the lands in which the University operates were originally used by the indigenous (Ainu) people in their daily lives, and conducts its educational and research activities in an environment rooted in the history of indigenous people. A university that strives towards restoration of cultural diversity.
• A university that advocates “All-Round Education” and “Global Perspectives” as its core principles. A university that leads global networks in sustainability, advances the academic study of sustainability, succeeds in implementing sustainability practices in the region, nurtures students with knowledge and skills in sustainability, and continuously produces next-generation leaders who promote the realization of a sustainable society.
• A university that advocates “Practical Learning” as a core principle. A university that achieves the greenhouse gas reduction targets set by the government, and while striving to secure the necessary funding, reduces water consumption, minimizes waste and food loss, decreases plastic usage, opts for environmentally friendly commuting methods, and optimizes on-campus transportation systems. A university that through these efforts to minimize the environmental impact of campus life and to promote behavioral change of our members, accelerates a fair and equitable transition towards the realization of a sustainable society including responding to climate change and protecting biodiversity.