UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder and Dentsu Inc. Senior VP Kotaro Sugiyama. Photo: Curtis Christophersen/UNU

On 12 November, the United Nations University and Dentsu Inc., one of the world’s largest advertising and media companies, signed an agreement to collaborate on joint projects. The stated aim is to “garner the wisdom of humankind from around the world” in the search for new values for the twenty-first century.

At the signing ceremony held at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo, UNU Rector Konrad Osterwalder called the agreement “a door-opener for entirely new adventures, new ideas, and new perspectives.”

Senior Vice President Kotaro Sugiyama of Dentsu Inc. stressed the importance of communications in changing the world, and the need to spread good ideas globally. “The agreement will encourage young people in Dentsu to do bigger and better things,” he said.

The newly established UNU Cultural Association, which advises the UNU Rector on cultural and creative matters, will coordinate the collaborative process, which includes the dispatch of Dentsu project producers to the UNU to work closely with the association.