Kanazawa University presented its longstanding UNESCO Chair initiatives at the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves*, held from 22-25 September 2025 in Hangzhou, China.On September 23, Kanazawa University also hosted a side event titled “Empowering Student-Led Exchanges in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks: A Low-Burden, High-Impact Model for Sustainability Education” and presented a new student-driven mobility framework on an international platform.For more than a decade, Kanazawa University has been implementing intergenerational and intercultural learning programs within the Mount Hakusan UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the Hakusan Tedorigawa UNESCO Global Geopark. These activities engage local communities, university students, and international researchers, fostering dialogue and collaboration between generations to support sustainable regional development.
Through its UNESCO Chair on Intergenerational Learning for Sustainable Development, Kanazawa University has built partnerships with over 20 countries across Asia, Europe, and beyond. The Chair’s central mission is to bridge generations and serve as a global platform connecting young people through biosphere reserves and geoparks.
UNESCO Chairholder Associate Professor Aida Mammadova delivered a speech at the Congress outlining Kanazawa University’s future vision. She emphasized the need to establish a low-burden international framework that enables students from different countries to access and learn within Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks as living classroms.
Kanazawa University remains committed to expanding its global partnerships and empowering the next generation of sustainability leaders through real-world engagement in UNESCO-designated sites.
* The 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves is a global UNESCO conference organized by the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and held every 10 years. This year, it brought together around 3,000 participants, including representatives from 748 Biosphere Reserves across 134 countries, to discuss and set future strategies for sustainability and conservation.
IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin
UNESCO WCBR（World Congress of Biosphere Reserves）
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A speech delivered by Associate Professor Aida Mammadova -
Group photo taken at the side event hosted by Kanazawa University
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