Exchanging ideas on an international level

In 2008, students of the Doshisha University in Kyoto organized the first World Student Environmental Summit (WSES) in Japan in the run-up to the G8-Summit. With profound conviction that ecological challenges of our time can only be accomplished together, the 70 participants founded the International Student Environmental Network (ISEN), since spring 2010 called the World Student Environmental Network (WSEN). The WSEN is a platform which allows active students of all branches of studies as well as local university initiatives to cross-link worldwide. It is providing them a common, audible voice.

The annual environmental summit WSES is the network’s most important instrument. The focal point of the first Summit in 2008 (11 participating universities) was on innovative technologies for mitigation of climate change, worldwide plans of action for sustainable development and environmental problems. In June 2009 the Second Summit took place at University of Victoria, Canada, hosting delegates from 25 universities from 18 countries. The main topics were energy, the role of universities in environmental protection and global responsibility. Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel prize laureate and Chair of the IPCC as well as Mukesh Kapila, Special Deputy of the International Red Cross, were supporting the Summit with their speeches.

In addition to the exchange of ideas, the main focus is on the formulation of a position paper to the respective topic. This paper will be handed over to decision-makers in politics and at universities. Thereby, the postulations will be considered in international rounds of negotiations like the UN climate conferences COP or the G8-summit. In 2008, the results were handed over to the Japanese minister of environment (download pdf), in 2009 to a Canadian deputy and to the Danish minister of energy and environment in the context of the Conference of the Parties (download pdf).

Further information can be found at the following websites:

World Student Environmental Network
World Student Environmental Summit 2008 (Kyoto)
World Student Environmental Summit 2009 (Victoria)