Introducing Kanagawa University’s Globally Recognized SDGs Initiatives and Public Relations Activities

Hello, I am Hanzawa from the Public Relations Division 1 at SUNNY SIDE UP Public Relations Business Headquarters. I returned to work in November 2021 after approximately one year of maternity and childcare leave.

During my childcare leave, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had few opportunities to converse with adults and rarely went out, which left me anxious about whether I would be able to properly reintegrate into society.

However, after my return, my assigned client was Kanagawa University—my alma mater and conveniently close to home. Being able to work with my alma mater is truly a PR professional’s dream come true!

Today, I would like to introduce Kanagawa University’s SDGs initiatives alongside our public relations activities. The university has been making headlines with the opening of its Minato Mirai Campus in April 2021 and the reorganization of its Faculty of Science and Engineering in April 2022.

■ Kanagawa University’s SDGs Initiatives

SDGs are recognized as critically important worldwide. Many companies and educational institutions are working toward SDGs, and Kanagawa University is no exception. In 2018, the university announced the “Kanagawa University Diversity Declaration” and has been proactively promoting education and research toward achieving SDGs. The university has also strengthened its efforts by resolving regional issues through comprehensive partnership agreements with local governments and inter-university collaboration agreements.
https://www.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/sdgs/

Notably, the university has been ranked for three consecutive years in the Impact Rankings 2021, which measures universities’ social contributions.
https://www.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/news/details_21778.html

Among Kanagawa University’s SDGs initiatives, one particularly unique project involves the soccer team’s dormitory.

■ Interaction Between the Aging Takeyama Housing Complex and Kanagawa University Soccer Team

The 50-year-old Takeyama Housing Complex (Midori Ward, Yokohama City), where 43% of residents are over 60 years old, is being utilized as a dormitory for Kanagawa University’s soccer team. Approximately 30 team members reside in vacant units on the fourth floor and above—units that are difficult for elderly residents to occupy due to the lack of elevators. The university is working with the Kanagawa Prefectural Housing Supply Corporation and the Takeyama Federation of Residents’ Associations to revitalize the surrounding area and resolve community issues. Activities include cleaning the complex, conducting disaster prevention drills, and offering smartphone classes for elderly residents, fostering active interaction.

This initiative has expanded beyond the soccer team. For example, Professor Ogura’s seminar in the Faculty of Human Sciences visited the complex and conducted disaster prevention drills together with residents and soccer team members. The seminar students gained valuable real-world experience with actual community issues, receiving stimulation they would not encounter in regular university life, creating synergistic effects.

SUNNY SIDE UP has supported this initiative through public relations. Led by Ryosuke Toda (a former soccer team member) from the Media Unit in Division 1, Department 1, our approach resulted in multiple news programs featuring “Kanagawa University Soccer Team and Takeyama Housing Complex” in extended segments. After the broadcasts, we received significant feedback, including comments such as: “I had a strong impression that young people do not actively engage with others, but I learned that is not the case,” “I believe that students interacting with various generations has mutually beneficial effects,” and “I will support the Kanagawa University soccer team!”

TV crew filming scenes (students teaching elderly residents how to use smartphones, filming the housing complex environment)

■ Generation Z and SDGs

Beyond the soccer team dormitory, Kanagawa University is engaged in various SDGs initiatives. For example, the university is developing a “platform” business that addresses issues through industry-government-academia-community collaboration. The first initiative is the “Tourism Platform,” which focuses on solving problems in the tourism industry that was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At a press conference held in December, a student presenter made a strong impression with comments such as: “While learning programming languages, I am working on creating a system to collect, analyze, and visualize tourism data for Yokohama. I want to contribute to Yokohama, which has become like a second hometown to me,” and “As a member of Generation Z, which is digitally native, I have a strong desire to solve regional issues from our perspective.”

Additionally, the university has planned campus events such as the “Kanagawa University SDGs Award Poster Contest” for undergraduate and graduate students.https://www.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/news/details_22856.html

Kanagawa University “Tourism Platform” Press Conference

Kanagawa University SDGs Award Poster Contest

While assisting with the university’s public relations, I have keenly felt the importance of SDGs. While I am not certain whether it is appropriate to categorize them all as Generation Z, I had heard that today’s university students have a high level of interest in social contribution and social good. After speaking with several students, I was genuinely surprised by their level of awareness. I look forward to continuing to actively disseminate information about Kanagawa University’s SDGs initiatives.

■ In Closing…

Kanagawa University is widely known for its ekiden (long-distance relay race) team, baseball, rocket research, and the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture. However, the university continues to evolve daily with the establishment of a new campus in the Minato Mirai district and the creation of new faculties. Additionally, many alumni are actively contributing to society, including Bunji Sunakawa, the pseudonymous author who won the 166th Akutagawa Prize, and Kazuya Shimasa of the comedy duo “New York,” who was selected as the number one favorite comedian in a certain magazine’s 2021 poll.

We hope you will pay attention to the university!

A comprehensive university with 8 faculties and 8 graduate schools
Kanagawa University Official Website ( https://www.kanagawa-u.ac.jp/ )