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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 at the ASEAN AMMSTI-22 Lao Side Event

03/07/2026

SIMPLE at the ASEAN AMMSTI-22 Lao Side Event

The SIMPLE project, implemented by BeDev Consulting in Lao PDR, was featured in Vientiane, on 25 June 2026 during the Lao Side Event of the 22nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation (AMMSTI-22). Under the theme “Advancing the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) for a Resilient, Sustainable and Competitive ASEAN,” this side event showcased Lao innovations in science and technology to a regional audience of ASEAN delegates and policymakers. At the SIMPLE exhibition booth, Prof. Khamxay Leevangtou – Head of the Metaverse section at the National University of Laos (NUOL) – demonstrated the AEDES VR dengue education programme throughout the day. Delegates put on Meta Quest 3 headsets to experience the program firsthand,...

AquaDefenders VR Game Reaches More Students in the Mekong Delta

23/06/2026

AquaDefenders VR Game Reaches More Students in the Mekong Delta

On May 17th and June 14th, 2026, Cần Thơ University (CTU) carried out the second implementations of its Virtual Universe, bringing together two teachers and approximately 40 high school students across two sessions in Cần Thơ and Bến Tre. The first session, held in Cần Thơ City, brought together 20 students from four different local high schools – Bùi Hữu Nghĩa, Phan Ngọc Hiển, Nguyễn Việt Hồng, and the CTU Elite High School – with five students representing each institution. The second session took place at the Bà Tri Vocational and Continuing Education Center in Bến Tre, where another 20 students participated. These two sessions marked the rollout of the final version of AquaDefenders, the SIMPLE project’s Virtual Universe on...

ÉVEIL Project: Learning French Creatively with Virtual Reality

02/06/2026

ÉVEIL Project: Learning French Creatively with Virtual Reality

ÉVEIL (Environnements Virtuels pour l’Éducation Immersive au développement durable en Langue française) is a FEF-R (Fonds Equipe France Rapide) project, led by IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement) and funded by SCAC (the Cultural Affairs and Cooperation Service of the French Embassy) and the Institut Français. It is an extension of the SIMPLE project, developed by IRD, dedicated to designing virtual reality (VR) activities to raise adolescents’ awareness of environmental issues. ÉVEIL offers pedagogical activities specifically designed for French-language classrooms, centered around the themes of waste collection and sorting, immersing students in an immersive learning environment called “Operation Zero Waste.” Technological Training for French Language Teachers Since July 2025, the ÉVEIL project has collaborated with 31 French language teachers...

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.

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VR Contest

The contest is expected to launch in 2026. Leave your email to receive updates.

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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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