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This chapter outlines the features of the Asian Program for Incubation of Environmental Leaders (APIEL), including its objectives, core concepts and curriculum structure. APIEL is an educational program developed by The University of Tokyo that aims to foster environmental leaders, who have wide knowledge base, critical perspective, and a strong ethical stance. Those environmental leaders are expected to contribute to building environment-friendly and sustainable societies in the future in Asian countries. In addition, APIEL intends to create a collaborative network of higher education institutions in Asia with a view to tackling environmental issues by developing environmental leadership capacity.

Leadership has shifted focus from the individual to the group or institute. Efforts to link leadership and the natural environment have already begun and the necessity for environmental leadership has never been higher than ever in the era of complex and evident environmental and social problems, such as climate change, global conflict, limited resources, an overwhelming amount information, etc. There is no single solution for environmental problems that can solve the conflicts of diversified community relations. Therefore, environmental leadership development is a priority element for improving the deteriorating environment. However, the current education system, especially in Asia, lacking in providing a holistic view of environmental issues, as well as inter- or trans-disciplinary and cross-cultural approaches, or a balance between the environmental, economic and social dimensions, using hands-on experience. In response, APIEL strives to fill this gap by improving education for environmental leadership with sustainability issues in mind. This chapter will review the concept of the environmental leader through a discourse on leadership. As well, it will introduce the authors’ experiences in fostering environmental leader by establishing and implementing environmental leadership education over the past four years. The discourse on environmental leadership illustrates how environmental leaders have been educated to cope with emerging environmental issues. The concepts of transformational/transformative-, eco-, collective, green, and communicative leadership provide a map to understand the evolution of the theory and practice of environmental leadership education.

APIEL compulsory course, Environmental Challenges and Leadership in Asia (ECLA) discuss the human sustainability on earth by looking into the critical environmental issues in Asia and defines Environmental Leadership along with the environmental literacy and skills which are highly required in developing a sustainable society. Since many countries in Asia are densely populated and undergoing various development stages, Asia stands as the core region when considering our future global sustainability.

The feature of this course is the combination of lectures and case studies including interactive dialogues between teachers and students, group discussion and presentation in the classroom. Case studies were provided to understand discourses on industrialization (Minamata disease case), globalization (China’s air pollution case) and recent urbanization (Korea’s reclamation case). Students experientially learn communication, facilitation, and leadership skills by resolving tension between students from different academic fields. Therefore, this course provides platform for the field exercises where students can practice what they learn in the class.

This chapter explores future challenges to improve the design and implementation of the Thailand Unit by examining two cases of the unit conducted in 2009 and 2011. The unit covers two important issues of urban environmental management: Solid waste management and urban water use and management. Development, implementation, results and review processes of the unit are shown by comparing both cases. To examine educational effects of the unit in terms of its academic contents, group work results are shown. To improve the unit design and implementation, questionnaire survey results for the involved faculty members are shown, where the strengths and weakness are clearly indicated. To review the effects of the unit participation on leadership development in individual students, their feedback comments are shown and serve as proof of the unit’s achievements.

This chapter introduces one of the APIEL field exercises, the Oasis Unit, which is conducted in northwestern China. To equip the students with a wide knowledge base and practical skills, this unit is strongly field-oriented and applies in its course design the Integral Approach proposed by Ken Wilber. The approach provides a trans-/cross-disciplinary framework for identifying environmental problems of complexity, as well as bringing together methodologies from different fields and leadership qualities. After four years of implementation, the approach is considered successful in educational program design for environmental leadership and for promoting the leadership development of participants.

As cities in the GPRD develop, they go through an environmental transition associated with changes in the type of environmental challenge. With its growing economic power, China is playing an important role in the global economy, although the prosperity of the cities seems to have come with certain hurdles: social inequality and environmental deterioration. In response to such transaction, we have examined the GPRD’s urban development, including urban formation, industry relocation, economic development, social inequality, and biodiversity conservation for a better quality of life (QOL). As a catalyst for sustainable urbanization, environmental leadership—where the urbanization process can be in harmony with the urgency for the economic development and sustainable future of the city—was explored. The holistic framework of activity theory was also applied within the area of sustainability to arrive at an inclusive structure for environmental leadership.

This chapter presents an overview of the activities of Asian Program for Incubation of Environmental Leaders (APIEL)’s Cambodia Unit and its self-­evaluation. First, we clarify the reason why Cambodia was chosen as a location to implement APIEL’s field exercise unit. Second, the basic concept and approach are introduced. Third, program components that include preliminary tasks, on-site program, and subsequent presentations and reports by students are shown. Finally, self-­examination is given to propose recommendations to improve the Cambodia Unit.

The following accounts are from teaching staff at universities that have collaborated with The University of Tokyo in the APIEL’s field exercises, as well as three alumni. The purpose of this chapter is to reflect the mutual influences of resonances created by Asian Program for Incubation of Environmental Leaders (APIEL) and collaborators across region, stakeholders and disciplines in Asia. The teaching staffs from Asian Institute of Technology, Cold and Arid Regions Environment and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Royal University of Phnom Penh and Seoul National University have shared their experiences with APIEL to foster future environmental leaders. Three APIEL alumni comments impact of APIEL on academic and professional development, its relevance to subsequent activities, and their own development.