SDGs+Beyond Future Society for Life Week
What Changes the World? — Insights from Best Practices
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan Best Practices
The Best Practices program showcases innovative projects addressing global challenges. This event brings together awardees and a selection committee member of the program to explore how these initiatives can contribute to building a better future society.
This event is helped by New Year‘s Postcard Donations from Japan Post for “Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (donation-added)”.
Recorded video available
Discussion
- SDGs
- post-SDGs
- Designing Future Society for Our Lives
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | Provided |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Track Programme
- Time and
Date of
the event -
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2025.10.07[Tue]
18:15 ～ 20:00
(Venue Open 18:00)
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- Venue
- Theme Weeks Studio
Programme details
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This event features a panel discussion with Best Practice awardees who will share insights from their initiatives and future visions. Speakers will reflect on the social and regional issues that inspired their projects, including the personal experiences and motivations behind their approaches. They will also highlight key achievements, challenges faced, and lessons learned, using concrete examples. Looking ahead, we will explore the role these projects can play in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable society. The session will foster dialogue with participants, providing insights and ideas for building a better future together. Following the discussion, a networking reception will offer a space to encourage future collaboration and partnerships.
Reports
【Reflection】
The program “What Changes the World?–Insights from Best Practices” featured awardees of the Best Practices Programme who are addressing social challenges in various parts of the world.
They shared their initiatives to date as well as their recommendations for the future. The session began with opening remarks by Mr. Dimitri Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
The panel discussion was moderated by Ms. Marianne Mensah, CEO of ClimateInnov (CIEL) and member of the Best Practices Selection Committee.
The panelists included Professor Tomio Saito, Professor Emeritus at Kansai University of International Studies and Visiting Professor at the University of Hyogo; Ms. Vedika Murarka, Co-founder of Educase; Mr. Shunsuke Tsuboi, Representative Director/CEO of Sagri Co., Ltd.; and Ms. Lisa Schinzel, Visual Communications Specialist at EinDollarBrille Association.
Through the panel discussion, it became clear that despite working in different fields—disaster prevention, education, agriculture, and healthcare—their initiatives share a common approach: needs-driven, solution-oriented innovation that significantly contributes to improving the lives of those who are often left behind.
In particular, their efforts go beyond individual activities or the provision of products and services, focusing instead on building sustainable systems through human resource development, community partnerships, and distribution networks.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of co-creation. From the panelists’ initiatives, it was evident that co-creation serves as a driving force that connects people across disciplines and sectors, fostering new ideas and collaboration. Their commitment to learning from and supporting one another demonstrates that such an attitude is an essential element in building a sustainable society.
Furthermore, following the panel discussion, a networking reception was held, providing a valuable opportunity for direct dialogue between speakers and attendees.
Participants engaged with the presenters, sharing impressions and interests in future collaboration, and experienced hands-on interaction—such as touching the school bags used in Educase’s activities and the one-dollar glasses provided by EinDollarBrille—which deepened mutual understanding and inspired meaningful exchanges.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Through this program, it is expected that continuous information exchange will be pursued based on the relationships established to date, and that discussions will advance toward launching new projects and exploring opportunities for social implementation informed by the insights and lessons gained.
In addition, the content of this event will be published on the Expo Association’s official website, and the activities of the awardees will be continuously shared online to foster empathy and collaboration with those striving to address critical social challenges, thereby further promoting the dissemination and advancement of the concept of “co-creation.”
It is our hope that the spirit of collaboration fostered through this program will continue to be carried forward and developed by diverse stakeholders even after the Expo, leading to the sustained co-creation of social value.
Cast
Moderator
Ms. Marianne MENSAH
CEO, Climate Innov（CIEL)
Ms.Marianne Mensah is CEO of Climate Innov (CIEL), supporting ESG and sustainable transformation. She is a professor of sustainable innovation and a board member of organizations working on climate education, culture and nature.
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Speakers
Professor SAITO Tomio
Professor emeritus, Kansai University of International Studies / Visiting Professor, University of Hyogo
Professor Saito is former Vice Governor of Hyogo prefecture.He devoted himself to recovery and reconstruction efforts, after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake occurred on January 17,1995, as an executive official of Hyogo prefectural government. In April 1996, he became the first Superintendent of Emergency Management of Hyogo Prefecture, playing an important role in rebuilding the disaster risk reduction system of Hyogo Prefecture and in promoting ""Build Back Better"".
He has also contributed for Disaster Reduction Learning Center (DRLC), which was jointly established by JICA Kancsai Center and Hyogo prefectural government in 2007, as a lecturer from the beginning of DRLC.
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Vedika Murarka
Educase, Co-founder
Ms.Vedika Murarka is a social entrepreneur and the co-founder of Educase, a school bag that transforms into a desk - a simple, scalable innovation ensuring children can learn anywhere, especially in emergencies.
Rooted in her belief that education is the foundation for solving global challenges, she has led Educase to reach over 7,000 students across Nepal and is now looking to expand the initiative globally. Her work focuses on bridging design, dignity, and access to improve learning environments for children in low-resource settings.
A graduate of the London School of Economics, she brings a strong background in innovation, impact strategy, and community engagement. She is committed to reimagining how grassroots solutions can drive global change and is currently building partnerships to scale Educase across crisis-affected and underserved communities worldwide.
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Shunsuke Tsuboi
Sagri Co., Ltd Representative Director/CEO
Graduated from Yokohama National University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, founded Sagri in 2018, and was selected as one of Forbes “30 Under 30 Changing the World” in Japan and Asia. Member of “Study Group on Management of Agricultural Land Information Using Digital Maps” of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) . Member of the “Young Experts' Study Group for Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050”, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Received the Prime Minister's Award at the 6th Space Utilization Awards.
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Lisa Schinzel
EinDollarBrille Association / Visual Communications specialist
Ms.Lisa Schinzel comes from the field of product design, after graduating she tended to work in the graphics department at a communications agency. After years of communications for industrial companies, she wanted to devote herself to more social issues and started working in the communications department of EinDollarBrille. She has now been there for four years and is responsible for all visual content.
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SDGs+Beyond Future Society for Life Week
What Changes the World? — Insights from Best Practices
The Best Practices program showcases innovative projects addressing global challenges. This event brings together awardees and a selection committee member of the program to explore how these initiatives can contribute to building a better future society.
This event is helped by New Year‘s Postcard Donations from Japan Post for “Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (donation-added)”.
-
2025.10.07[Tue]
18:15～20:00
(Venue Open 18:00)
- Theme Weeks Studio
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
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