The Ministry of the Environment supports the networking of universities in the Asia Pacific region to train people who will be able to apply their environmental skills throughout Asia. The Ministry has been working jointly with the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies since fiscal 2007. It started working on developing a network of higher education institutions that are committed to integrating sustainability in their postgraduate education and research programs in November 2007. Following a preliminary investigation and analysis meeting held in March 2008, ProSPER.Net (Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network) was officially launched at the second ProSPER.Net meeting held in Sapporo in June 2008. As of February 2011 the network boasts a roster of participating members that includes twenty one higher education institution from Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, ASEAN countries, India, and Australia. The network is expected to grow to include more educational institutions in the near future. Activities of the network may include: 1. sharing of teaching materials and programs, 2. joint program development and implementation through resource- and knowledge-sharing, 3. faculty and student exchanges, and 4. building of an Asia-wide network of highly capable environmental human resources.