Ensuring Safe Drinking Water: University in Nigeria Engages with the Community
Globally, water is considered both a crucial resource and a major challenge. Its quality and availability constitute significant determinants of sustainable health, economic growth and social development. According to the published in 2023 “water use has been increasing globally by roughly 1% per year over the last 40 years and is expected to grow at a similar rate” due to “population growth, socio-economic development and changing consumption patterns.” The same report warns though, that “water scarcity is becoming endemic as a result of the local impact of physical water stress, coupled with the acceleration and spreading of freshwater pollution.”
Creating a Shared Consciousness on the SDGs: A Portuguese University's Initiative
In light of the ongoing global challenges, the role of higher education institutions is vital. Universities, said the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, in her message to the Association of Pacific Rim Universities Annual Presidents’ Meeting in June 2023, can make the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs a reality using their “knowledge, resources, and influence.” “This includes integrating the SDGs into university curricula and offering interdisciplinary courses,” she added.
Argentinian University Opens Access to Information on Air Quality
“By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management,” reads . According to a World Health Organization (WHO) , “air pollution is the world’s largest environmental health threat – 99% of people breathe air that exceeds WHO air quality limits.” In light of this, many higher education institutions worldwide are stepping forward.
Eyes on the Future: Social Transformation Through Energy Education in Brazil
The coexistence of multiple challenges and crises is directly impacting the ability of countries, particularly in the developing world, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the role of institutions of higher education is even more fundamental than ever before. Their knowledge and expertise are crucial to achieving the Goals, but also to change narratives, improve resource management, and even connect with other educational levels to advocate for sustainable development. ճ, a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Brazil, is precisely working on this front.
Back to the Future: The Blue Horizon of Higher Education and the United Nations
24 October marks United Nations Day. This article, published within the framework of this international observance, aims to underline the importance of higher education in the global mission of the United Nations.
College Students Take Up the Fight against Poverty in India at the Grassroots Level
In a significant endeavor to tackle poverty-related issues, sixty graduate students at , a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in India that also serves as the initiative’s Hub for the Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty, undertook a mission to make a difference at the grassroots level. Committed to understanding, advocating, and initiating a meaningful dialogue on critical socioeconomic issues, these students have taken on the challenge of addressing the often-overlooked plight of internal migrants in India.
College Food Saving 'Warriors': Reducing Food Waste in Greece
Volunteering is a powerful force that enriches lives, strengthens communities, and drives positive change in a fast-paced and interconnected world. And human activity undeniably impacts nature and climate with devastating consequences on the planet and all its inhabitants. ճ, a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Greece, recognizes resource efficiency’s environmental, economic, and social benefits.
Graduate Fellows Work with Middle School Students for a Sustainable Future
According to the , hunger is one of the leading causes of death in the world, not due to a lack of resources but rather because of inequitable distribution. The World Health Organization stated that in 2020, 149 million children under five years of age were estimated to be stunted, 45 million were estimated to be too thin for their height, and 38.9 million were overweight or obese. That is a total of 232.9 million children worldwide affected by malnutrition.
Millennium Fellowship Class of 2023: Young Leaders Making the SDGs a Reality
The Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) are proud to present the Class of 2023, an ambitious program to help make the Sustainable Development Goals and UNAI principles a reality. The Class of 2023 Millennium Fellows have been selected among a record-breaking 44,369 applicants from over 3,000 campuses across 170 nations.
Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected based on their leadership on sustainable development-related projects that advance the SDGs in their communities. As Millennium Fellows, they will participate in a semester-long leadership development program to improve their student organizing, partnership building and community impact skills.
IT Education Through Cloud-Based Software: Korean University Leads
Startups are seen as an answer to some social challenges facing developing countries, such as jobs, value creation, and sustainability. The software field, from a ‘glocal’ perspective, is the most promising one for startups in developing countries that lack capital. This is because anyone can do business anytime, anywhere in the world, with a computer connected to the Internet without regard for physical or geographical limitations. However, certain developing countries have been unable to capitalize on it due to many constraints.
Academic Community Planting the Future: A Sustainable Initiative
ճ says, “forests are among the largest carbon and biodiversity reservoirs on Earth, crucial for mitigating climate change and providing essential goods, services, and livelihoods.” Yet, the same document warns that “nearly 100 million hectares of net forest area have been lost over the past two decades” and “global forest coverage decreased” to 31,2%. This is naturally not in alignment with the , particularly its Goal 15.
Advancing Nuclear Research: Countering Cancer and Climate Change
Nuclear research is driving innovation in science, technology, medicine, and clean energy for the benefit of communities around the globe.The issued by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, already underlined that “the use of nuclear energy beyond electricity production is enjoying unprecedented momentum worldwide” and that “global interest in research reactors continued to grow.” The report also highlighted the relevance of isotope-based theranostics in cancer management, and the many “therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine.”
Living Lab in a Dutch University: Towards a More Sustainable and Healthy Food Future
A publication of the United Nations Environment Programme titled launched in 2022 says that “Excessive consumption of animal-based food and food wastage are two major contributors to lifestyles carbon footprints and major causes of other environmental challenges (…) Meat and dairy products, as well as certain kinds of seafood, have high environmental impact, not only per kilogram of food but also per calorie and per gram of protein. Plant-based protein sources (…) can meet nutritional needs of most healthy adults with a far smaller carbon footprint and reducing food waste.
Fashion Forward: Academia Partnering to Amplify Impact and Innovation
According to the , fashion is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions. The industry also produces a lot of waste, with 87% of fiber inputs incinerated or disposed of in a landfill and 20% of global wastewater worldwide is generated from fabric dyeing and treatment. Innovators and entrepreneurs are addressing these issues and finding solutions on their fashion journey.
To move fashion forward as part of this era of sustainability, pioneering brands are making sustainability commitments and meeting challenges head-on. Tommy Hilfiger and its vision to ‘Waste Nothing and Welcome All’ reflects the urgent need for fashion and the global economy to enhance their business models and make them more sustainable. It is also one brand leading the way in the Fashion Frontier Challenge.
Sustainable Energy Behavior: Ukrainian University Studies Digital Public Goods
Given the world’s challenges, including climate change concerns, efforts are being made globally to make the transition to renewable energies a reality. To explore how digital public goods could be used for such purpose, a team from