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On October 24, 2020, Tohoku University's Graduate School of Education hosted an international webinar entitled "Experiences and Prospects of SDG4-Education 2030 in Asia and the Pacific." The event coincided with the celebration of the 75th UN Day.

Number four of the UN's sustainable Development Goals (SDG4) aims to ensure the provision of education for all and leave no child behind in the pursuit of quality education.

In the opening speech, Tohoku University's Dean of the Graduate School of Education, Dr. Tomohiro Yakuwa, showed his appreciation to all participants for their continued support towards international exchange activities at the Graduate School of Education. He also pointed out that further collaboration is needed to promote SDG4.

UNESCO Bangkok Office Programme Specialist Mr. Nyi Nyi Thaung started the webinar with a keynote speech. Thaung reviewed the development process of SDG4 and introduced its progress in Asia and the Pacific before discussing new challenges for fulfilling the SDG4 by 2030 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concluding his speech, Thaung stressed the importance of collaborating with universities and other stakeholders to look for alternative ways of action to guarantee equity, inclusion and quality at all levels of education.

Following the keynote speech, Dr. Hideki Maruyama from the Faculty of Global Studies at Sophia University presented Japan's experiences in fulfilling SDG4 and discussed the challenges facing the country such as an ageing society, social issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized the role of lifelong learning to fulfill other sustainable development goals in Japan.

Dr. Yuchi Zhao from the Faculty of Education at Beijing Normal University introduced the progress of SDG4 in China, highlighting the country's contributions towards SDG4 through UNESCO. In the presentation, Zhao talked about how China localized the SDGs in national development planning. Also, he pointed out that rural education development is a key challenge in China's attempts to fulfill SDG4 by 2030.

Dr. Mook Suk Hong from the Busan University of Foreign Studies shared the current landscapes and challenges of Korean Education and SDG4. Her talk began by introducing how Korea linked the global development agenda to their domestic national education and development agendas. She concluded by summarizing Korea's advantages and challenges for providing education with quality and equity for all.

In the discussion session, speakers shared their opinions on the role of universities in promoting SDGs. In addition, they reached a consensus for building closer collaboration between universities in this region and other stakeholders to explore alternative ways to promote SDG4 towards 2030.

Vice-dean of the Graduate School of Education, Dr. Kazuhito Noguchi closed the webinar by emphasizing the inclusiveness in education for all. He also welcomed participants to take part in other webinar series hosted by the Graduate School of Education in 2020.

Presentations and discussions in this webinar indicated the progress and challenges shared across Asia and the Pacific in promoting SDG4. Looking ahead to the next decade, working closely for positive change and transformation towards inclusive and quality education for all is more important than ever.