UNAI START: South-South Cooperation and the UN Development System
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is pleased to invite you to the panel discussion entitled The United Nations at 75: South-South Cooperation and the UN Development System, to take place on Thursday, 25 April 2019 at 3:00 p.m. at United Nations Headquarters. This event is organized in collaboration with the International Studies Association (ISA), as part of UNAI's Skills and Technology Achieving Rapid Transformation (START) series.
This discussion will focus on the role of the Global South in UN development and UN reform, revolving around three sets of questions:
On the International Day of Happiness UNAI Wants to Know What Happiness Means to You!
Each year the International Day of Happiness is celebrated to recognize the importance of well-being and happiness in the lives of people and to promote the idea that policy objectives should strive for a more inclusive equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness and the well-being of all people.
In 2013 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 20 March as the International Day of Happiness by adopting a resolution sponsored by Bhutan. Bhutan has long recognized the value of happiness as the foundation of an inclusive and equitable society, and in 2008 it enshrined Gross National Happiness in the country's constitution as the primary goal of the government, rather than the pursuit of economic indicators such as Gross National Product.
Southern Illinois University uses fun, hands-on activities to teach students about the SDGs
Making planet Earth more sustainable is possible, as an interactive community event at Southern Illinois University Carbondale demonstrated. The 28 February event, Exploring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, was a chance for people to learn more about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through fun, hands-on activities. The activities covered the importance of SDGs such as eliminating poverty and hunger, achieving global gender equality, improving access to quality education and assuring affordable clean energy for all.
The easiest way to help students appreciate biodiversity is from the perspective of the kitchen, says Professor Reid at the Culinary Institute of America
Taylor Reid, Assistant Professor of Applied Food Studies at the Culinary Institute of America, bases his research interests in beginning farmers, small farm development, chef-community relationships, and the gathering and use of wild foraged food products. Dr. Reid wrote the following article for UNAI about the UN Food and Agriculture Organization´ (FAO) latest report titled State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.
Millenium Fellow Davy Atanga: Mentors Network initiative unleashes the potential of Ghanaian students
UNAI and the Millennium Campus Network's Millennium Fellowship helps students design and implement community-level initiatives to promote sustainability and help others in need.
15 March 2019 - In this week's article, UNAI is highlighting the work of the 2018 Class of Millennium Fellows Davy Ayuune Atanga, Elona Boateng, Susan Dacosta, and Ayebilla Avoka for their work in the Mentors Network initiative in Ghana.
Public Health Casebook by Western University teaches essential skills through storytelling
The Master of Public Health Program (MPH) at Western University is a 12 month full-time program that incorporates a 12-week practicum. Western's MPH Program relies extensively on the case based/experiential method of learning. The Programme aims to deliver 60% of pedagogic material using the case-based approach – a unique feature not found in other MPH Programs worldwide. The case method of learning is not about the traditional lecture-style classroom setting, but is about the student being an active part of the learning experience, which means learning by doing.
Millennium Fellow Nathan Tom: Culinary Collective Project
UNAI and the Millennium Campus Network's Millennium Fellowship helps students design and implement community-level initiatives to promote sustainability and help others in need.
8 March 2019 - In this week's article, a member of the 2018 Class of Millennium Fellows, Nathan Tom, describes his experiences as the Co-Founder of the Culinary Collective Project at Arizona State University.
Department of Global Communications promotes Gender Equality in March
In March, as the United Nations celebrates International Women's Day, the Department of Global Communications's editorial package focuses on SDG 5 - Gender Equality.
The content, gathered from across the UN System, includes the UN Secretary-General's message for the Day, an interview with former UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador Annie Lennox, and information on the International Labour Organization's new report, A Quantum Leap for Gender Equality.
You will also find links to digital assets, think pieces on women's economic empowerment, and impact stories on women and girls who are breaking down barriers to create a better world for everyone.
Winter School at Al Farabi KazNU discusses the risks of journalism profession
The Faculty of Journalism of the Kazakh National University held the 6th International Winter School for young journalists from Central Asian countries, including female media professionals from Afghanistan. The Winter School of Journalism and Communication was organized with the support of the Almaty Cluster Office of UNESCO, the UN Information Centre (UNIC), UNAI and Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development.
This event, which took place on World Radio Day, was attended by journalists, media specialists and scholars from Canada, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Karakalpakstan and Kyrgyzstan. More than 170 media scholars and journalists shared with students the professional techniques of the media profession, the new trends in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and insights into the future of the media market.
American University of Greece uses education to bridge boundaries and change lives
The American College of Greece (ACG), working together with the U.S. Embassy in Athens, the American College of Thessaloniki/ACT and the American Farm School, launched the program Education Unites: From Camp to Campus providing higher education scholarships to 87 refugees. Scholarship recipients included 24 women and 63 men, ages 18 to 40, from 14 countries to help pay for their studies at ACG for the 2017 to 2018 academic year.
The primary goals of the program were to:
a) give opportunities to displaced students, many of whom are victims of wars or violence, to continue their education;
b) provide them with the knowledge, skills and academic credits they could then use in Greece or in any other European country they might move to in the future;
c) help them move beyond their identity as refugees and begin to be integrated in the local community; and
d) offer young men and women hope for the future and preparation for their professional lives.
UN event highlights the role of education in preserving and promoting indigenous languages
26 February 2019 - On the occasion of the International Year of Indigenous Languages and the International Mother Language Day, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library of the United Nations hosted a panel discussion to spotlight the importance of preserving indigenous languages and integrating them into the education system.
The Sustainable Development Goals for a Local Community: Moving towards Global Change
As a United Nations Academic Impact ASPIRE member for over 8 years, the ASPIRE chapter of East Stroudsburg (Pennsylvania, USA) used their Sustainable Development Goal training received at the United Nations Headquarters for the enhancement of their local community. The month of February, designated to celebrate Black History Month in the United States, provided the ASPIRE Chapter of East Stroudsburg with the opportunity to work with leaders and partners in their community towards Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
UNAI SDG Hub appeals for increased global action on clean, affordable and modern energy
27 February 2019 - In October 2018, the Energy Policy and Development Centre (KEPA) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) was designated by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) as the SDG Hub for Sustainable Development Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.
Ahfad University for Women conducts local and regional activities to promote gender equality and empower women and girls
In 2018, Ahfad University for Women's (AUW) Gender and Reproductive Health and Rights Resource and Advocacy Center (GRACe) conducted activities to promote Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Throughout the year, training programmes were organized to prepare women and girls for leadership roles in the workplace. For example, AUW's Student Union and GRACe celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child through their With Her: A Skilled Girl Force initiative that provided girls with the skills and training needed for joining the workforce. The programme also fostered collaboration and investments among stakeholders to increase employment opportunities for women and girls.
#SDGsinAcademia: SDG Hub for Goal 17
As part of the ongoing campaign on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) carried out by the United Nations, the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) series #SDGSinAcademia profiles the new SDG Hubs for each one of the Goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
18 February 2019 - This week our #SDGsinAcademia series features the American University in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), a member institution of United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), that has been chosen as the SDG Hub for Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
About the Hub: