Tokyo Univ. Student Active on Environment

A student-run environmental organization at the University of Tokyo, named "Kankyo Sanshiro," is actively promoting various environmental activities on the campus. The organization, established in October 1993, has had over 150 members in total since it began, and is currently run by a core of about 40 core freshmen and sophomores. Many former members continue to work on environmental issues after graduation, bringing with them the awareness of environmental problems obtained through the activities during their school days. "Sanshiro" is the name of leading character in a famous novel by the late Soseki Natsume, who was an alumnus and a lecturer of the university.

Since 1994, the organization has been assisting in organizing a university lecture series titled "Kankyo-no-Seiki" (The Environmental Century). In this lecture series, about 10 different lecturers talk about environmental issues in turn every week. The organization also helps select and invite some interdisciplinary experts, journalists, lawyers and others. Also, it makes presentations of case studies that are conducted by organization members. After each of the lectures, a follow-up seminar is held to provide a better opportunity for the students to enrich their knowledge.

Submitting a project proposal for creating biotopes (small ecological areas) on campus to the College of Arts and Sciences in December 2003, the organization worked on the college to restore the natural environment of a pond on the campus. Some members are aiming to be qualified as biotope managers.

During Environment Week, which Kankyo Sanshiro started organizing on campus in 2003, the organization promotes a campaign to reuse secondhand clothes, and exhibits and sells eco-friendly goods and environment-related books in cooperation with the university co-op. The group seeks more collaboration with other universities to broaden its activities.

Recently in Japan, many student-run environmental organizations have been established at universities. There are also several information networks reaching out between campuses to enhance their activities by exchanging information with other organizations.





Posted: 2004/12/31 09:38:51 AM
Japanese version