From June 22 to 25, 2026, the 2026 Global Sustainable Development Congress, hosted by Times Higher Education (THE), was held at the Jakarta International Convention Center in Indonesia. Under the theme Collective Action for a Sustainable Future, the congress gathered over 5000 delegates from more than 120 countries and regions, as well as representatives from international organizations, including UNESCO and ASEAN. Distinguished guests included Brian Yuliarto (Minister, Indonesia’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology), Chaw Chaw Sein (President, Myanmar’s Minister of Education), Gita Sabharwal (UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia), Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa (Director, UNESCO Jakarta Office), and Habibah binti Abdul Rahim (Director, the SEAMEO Secretariat).

Prof. Kan Yue, Dean of ZJU’s College of Education (CoE), was invited to attend the congress. He participated in the How-to Session: Partnering with Governments and Industry to Equip the Next Generation with Skills for Sustainability, where he exchanged insights with representatives from ASEAN, South Africa, and Indonesia on key topics: integrating sustainability competencies across disciplines from STEM to social sciences and humanities; co-designing curricula with industry and government to equip graduates with skills for emerging job markets; and building multi-stakeholder partnerships in education to advance national and regional sustainable development agendas. Prof. Kan also held meetings with Lim Mei Mei (THE’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific) and Sophia Li (THE’s senior Director of Greater China).

During his stay in Jakarta, Prof. Kan also visited the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Indonesia Office, where he met with Ms. Patricia Norimarnan, Head of Strategic Partnerships, and caught up with Yan Tianyi, a 2022 undergraduate alumna of the CoE currently working at the office.