The MIRAI digital Kickoff on September 4, 2024, gathered over 200 participants from member universities in Japan and Sweden, as well as attendants from external parties such as private companies and funding organizations. 

The program included congratulatory messages from the Embassy of Japan in Sweden and the Embassy of Sweden in Japan. These were followed by keynote lectures from SEI (Stockholm Environment Institute) Deputy Research and Director Dr. Åsa Persson, expert on climate and sustainable development governance with a focus on the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Captain Taku Kawamura, Manager of Corporate Sustainability at ANA Holdings Inc. 

Finally, the Global Challenges Teams (GCTs), the core of MIRAI's third phase, set sail to their collaborative work plans to help promote long-term research collaborations, facilitate early career researchers’ mobility, and integrate innovation and entrepreneurship in education to facilitate joint efforts between academia, industry, and external partners.

Source: Umeå University