How UNAI SDG Hub 7 is setting a tree planting initiative against climate change

Since 2020, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Energy Policy and Development Centre (KEPA) has led a tree planting initiative to celebrate the anniversary of the United Nations. In its first phase includes the planting of 4,984 trees that correspond to more than 105 tons of sequestrated CO2 per year, showcasing that trees are the silent allies for facing climate change. KEPA continues to serve as UNAI SDG Hub 7, to participate in the efforts to ensure access to clean and affordable energy for all.  

University in Ireland Partners with IOM: Research on Migration, Environment and Climate Change

Climate change is reshaping migration patterns worldwide, with disasters now being the leading cause of internal displacements. In 2022, 32.6 million new internal human displacements were caused by disasters, according to the 2023 Global Report on Internal Displacement. The Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, particularly its target 10.7, calls on countries to facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people. The IOM Country Profile contributes to making this a reality.

University in Pakistan Develops an Eco-Entrepreneurship Program

The heavy monsoon rains in the Sind province in Pakistan in 2022 became a deadly torrent, unleashing the worst floods in history. With 4.9 million hectares of crops destroyed, 1 million animals lost, 1.5 million houses damaged, 1,500 lives claimed, and 33 million people affected, this climate catastrophe exposed the vulnerability of developing countries like Pakistan to the wrath of a changing planet. While Pakistan contributes a fraction to global greenhouse gas emissions, it is the fifth most climate-vulnerable country in the world, bearing the brunt of a crisis it did not create.

Training Teachers on STEM Education: The Initiative of a Chilean University

A team of the University of Santiago de Chile, a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Chile, under the current direction of professors Carolina Bonacic and Héctor Muñoz, is implementing a capacity-building initiative for teachers nationwide in several lines of knowledge, providing them with new technological tools and strengthening the participation of women in STEM areas (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) from school teaching.

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 United Nations World Water Development Report 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 target 11.16 of the Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) publication, “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. The State University of Campinas (Unicamp), 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 Kristu Jayanti College, 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. The American College of Greece (ACG), 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 World Food Program, 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 Millennium Fellowship 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

The Sustainable Development Report 2023 – Special Edition 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 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly its Goal 15.