The contemporary world is facing a crisis of sustainability, and we see it as tremendously important to draw together the wisdom and vitality of youth, the torchbearers of the future of mankind. There are especially wide ranging missions for agricultural students, as agricultural science plays a key role in the solution of fundamental problems in food production and safety, environmental conservation, energy, and human health. The system of food production and consumption is without doubt closely related to the condition of the natural environment, the stage of economic development, and food culture in each country, and their patterns and problems reflect regional characteristics. It is thus important to understand how agriculture and food systems should be organized and maintained in each society.
In November 2001, Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA) organized the "International Students Summit on Food, Agriculture and Environment in the New Century" to provide students from our global partner universities with an opportunity to gather and exchange views and ideas on global food, agricultural and environmental issues, and also to discuss their own roles in sustainable development. The outcomes were announced as the "Tokyo Declaration." Since then, the International Students Summit has been held every year. The participating students adopted Action Plan in 2002 and agreed to establish the International Students Forum (ISF) from 2003. In 2005, Global NEFA was established by the former participants of ISS/ISF as a venue for continued sharing of information and knowledge on food, agriculture and environment issues.
The International Students Summit has now come to the 12th time. This time, it will be jointly organized by Michigan State University (MSU) and Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA), and held on October 4-5, 2012 at the MSU Campus in East Lansing, USA. More than 30 representative students from not only TUA partners but also MSU partner universities in the world are expected to participate in this international students conference. The sub-theme for this summit is “Students Taking Action in Response to Energy Challenges in the Areas of Food, Agriculture and Environment,” which was adopted at the 11th ISS in 2011. By focusing on energy challenges in agriculture and related fields in the participating universities and countries, they hope to foster their contributions to the solution of global problems through taking actions in local communities.
The 12th International Students Summit will consist of the following sessions.
Plenary Session: Opening and Keynote Speeches
Concurrent Session A: Student Actions in the Field of Agriculture
Concurrent Session B: Student Actions in the Fields of Food and Environmental Conservation
Plenary Session: Concurrent Session Reports, General Discussion, and Closing
Organizing Committee
International Students Summit/
International Students Forum,
Tokyo University of Agriculture
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