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Immersive virtual universes to support experiential learning on sustainable development within the classroom

What is SIMPLE ?

SIMPLE (Sustainability Issues Multiverse for building Participatory Learning Environments) is a project co-funded by the European Union that aims to explore the value of virtual reality in raising young people's awareness of the need to build sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.

SIMPLE is in line with the objective of the EU-ASEAN partnership for dialogue and cooperation in the field of climate action and environmental protection.
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Project Lead

French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)

French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)

At IRD, the project involves members of the Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Complex Systems Research Unit (UMMISCO), the Advanced Computational Research On Sustainability Science (ACROSS) International Joint Laboratory and the IRD headquarters services on Capacity Building and Scientific Culture.

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Implementing Institutions

Can Tho University (CTU)

Can Tho University (CTU)

At CTU, members of the College of Information and Communication Technology (CICT), the College of Environment and Natural Resources (CENRes) and the School of Education contribute to the project implementation, focusing on land subsidence and water salinity.

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National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)</a>

National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA)

At NSTDA, members of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) and Sirindorn Science Home contribute to the project implementation, focusing on forest biodiversity restoration.

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Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology (CADT)

Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology (CADT)

CADT leads the development of the Virtual Universe in Cambodia, focusing on the impacts of pesticides on insect biodiversity and sustainable agriculture in the Mekong region.

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BeDev Consulting

BeDev Consulting

BeDev Consulting, partnering with the National University of Laos (NUOL), leads the development of the Virtual Universe in Lao PDR, focusing on dengue fever awareness and prevention methods.

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News

SIMPLE Promotes the VR Contest at the International Conference on Education Cooperation in the Digital Era

12/10/2026

SIMPLE Promotes the VR Contest at the International Conference on Education Cooperation in the Digital Era

On 8th October 2026, the SIMPLE project joined the International Conference on Education Cooperation in the Digital Era in Hanoi – an event that brought together more than 800 delegates from 40 countries and territories to discuss the future of education in an increasingly digital world. The conference covered a wide range of themes, including international cooperation, digital transformation in general and higher education, the digital ecosystem in vocational training, and a global alliance initiative for children, making it a timely and relevant platform for SIMPLE to connect with educators, institutions, and stakeholders from across the globe. At the event, SIMPLE shared a booth with Campus France Vietnam, France Alumni Vietnam, and Tiengphapplus, taking on the opportunity to promote the...

A-SASSY Team gave a visit to the SIMPLE project team as part of their exposure visits

06/10/2026

A-SASSY Team gave a visit to the SIMPLE project team as part of their exposure visits

On 25th September 2026, SIMPLE team welcomed the A-SASSY project team and some of their beneficiaries as part of one of their exposure visits, offering the group an inside look at the project’s use of virtual reality for sustainability education. The Building One ASEAN of Sustainability and Solidarity with a Partnership between Youth, CSOs, and the Member States (A-SASSY) project seeks to build partnerships among Southeast Asia’s youth, civil society organizations, and local authorities to strengthen collective regional action on climate change, environmental protection, and disaster risk reduction. A-SASSY’s exposure visits consist in presenting sustainability initiatives to selected students so they can consider how to apply these solutions back home and be durability Ambassadors.  The visitors had the opportunity to...

SIMPLE VR Contest officially launches in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

09/09/2026

SIMPLE VR Contest officially launches in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The SIMPLE VR Contest was officially launched in Cambodia on 3rd September 2026 at the Cambodia Academy of Digital Technology (CADT) in Phnom Penh, simultaneously with its ASEAN wide launch. Hosted by CADT and supported by the European Union delegation to Cambodia, the launching event brought together approximately 220 participants, including government officials, diplomats, representatives from Cambodian universities, and students specializing in digital technology, engineering, and science. Distinguished guests included H.E. Dr. Chea Vandeth, Minister of Post and Telecommunications; H.E. Igor Driesmans, Ambassador of the European Union to Cambodia; and H.E. Olivier Richard, Ambassador of France to Cambodia, Dr. Guillaume Da, the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) representative in Cambodia, alongside representatives of the Ministry of Post and...

Frequently Asked Questions

SIMPLE is a project co-funded by the European Union that aims to explore the value of virtual reality in raising young people’s awareness of the need to build sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.

Within the project, SIMPLE has developed multiple 3D Virtual Universes (VUs), each accompanied by dedicated learning units, which are used to implement experiments based on virtual reality (VR) in schools.

To launch these experiments in classrooms, the project uses the M2L2 (Mobile Metaverse Learning Lab), its own dedicated device to easily deploy the necessary equipment to run VR game sessions smoothly.

A Virtual Universe (VU) is a 3D virtual world where students can explore and interact with scientific concepts. It uses Virtual Reality (VR) to create an immersive experience for students. The SIMPLE team has developed many VUs with different sustainability topics (salt intrusion, biodiversity, dengue fever and insect biodiversity) across four countries: Vietnam, Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia. You can explore the scientific message of our VUs here.

A learning unit is a structured plan or framework that describes how a learning experience will take place. It outlines what learners will do, what they will learn, and provides instructions to teachers on how to handle and adjust the activities and tools developed in SIMPLE (such as the VU). Within the SIMPLE project, a learning unit is designed along with the VUs to bring an immersive learning experience to the students.

A VR-based (Virtual Reality) experiment is an immersive learning experience where students explore a Virtual Universe (VU) using VR, guided by a dedicated learning unit. Through interactions, observations, and discussions, students gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability issues and are encouraged to develop their own solutions.

The M2L2 which stands for Mobile Metaverse Learning Lab is a mobile device gathering all the necessary equipment to run virtual reality game sessions in educational environments. It has been elaborated so people with no technical background, particularly teachers, can drive the experiment.

Open to all ASEAN citizens

VR Contest

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Sponsor

Co-funded by the European Union. SIMPLE is led by IRD and implemented by its partners in the Lower Mekong region (CTU, NSTDA, CADT, BeDev) under the EU–ASEAN Green Partnership Programme.

This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of SIMPLE and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

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