2023.04.07
On Monday, April 3, 2023, the 2023 Kick-off Lecture was held at Keio University's Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC).
The Kick-off Lecture is held annually for new students beginning their university life and current students starting a new semester. The purpose is to invite distinguished speakers from various fields to give a lecture, helping students learn the importance of making their future student life meaningful, and to cultivate an attitude toward academic pursuits and an ability to accurately perceive societal changes.
For the 2023 academic year, we invited Ms. Hiroko Kuniya, a journalist and a Guest Professor (Part-time) at the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance, to give a lecture titled "Looking at the Present from the Future: SDGs and I."
Addressing the students who will shape the future world, Ms. Kuniya spoke about "the importance of thinking about current issues from a future perspective," drawing from her experiences as a news anchor and her subsequent work in reporting on and raising awareness of the SDGs.
During the Q&A session, many questions were posed by inspired students, leading to a lively exchange on topics such as the pros and cons of simplifying complex problems, the importance of defining terms, and how to approach intertwined issues.
◆ Hiroko Kuniya
Born in Osaka Prefecture. Graduated from Brown University in the U.S. She served as the anchor for NHK's satellite broadcast "World News" from 1989 and for NHK General TV's "Close-up Gendai" for 23 years from 1993 to March 2016. During this time, she also anchored special programs and "NHK Special" series. Since 2016, her activities have centered on reporting and raising awareness of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
Currently, she is a Trustee of Tokyo University of the Arts (Director of the SDGs Promotion Office), a Guest Professor (Part-time) at the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance, a Director of the Renewable Energy Institute, and a Goodwill Ambassador for Japan for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Awards include the Award for Women in Broadcasting in 1998, the Kan Kikuchi Prize in 2002, the Japan National Press Club Award in 2011, and the Galaxy Award Special Prize in 2016.
Publications: "The Job of a Caster" (Iwanami Shinsho) and "Close-up Geidai: Hiroko Kuniya + Tokyo University of the Arts" (Kawade Shinsho).
Source: General Affairs Section, Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) Office