Robots to Rescue: Using Technology to Mitigate Effects of Natural Disasters
Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT), a UNAI member institution in Japan serving as the Hub for Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, has been a world-leading institution in the development of disaster response robots used to save lives and prevent damage from spreading in times of disaster.
Rescue robots have been used for many years and their technology has improved dramatically over the years, including their mechanical reliability when employed in the field. Due to the wide array and complexity of disasters experienced not only in Japan but around the world, innovation is a critical factor in robot technology, which is considered a next generation industry that can foster employment and economic development and help advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through practical solutions.
Enabling Quality Remote Learning During the Pandemic
“Leaving no one behind means leaving no one offline, yet, half of the world’s population, an estimated 3.7 billion people, does not use the Internet,” warns the Policy Brief: Leveraging digital technologies for social inclusion issued by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). A document published by UNESCO noted the impact of this digital divide on education during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the move to digital learning has excluded “large numbers of learners, amplifying existing educational disparities.”
Fostering Innovation and Creativity for Social Change
The world faces many challenges today, ranging from health crises and climate change, to political and social turmoil and overpopulation, critical issues that require the knowledge and resources that institutions of higher education can provide to support societal change and foster social innovation.
According to a discussion paper from UNDP’s Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, social innovations are “new solutions (products, services, models, markets, processes etc.) that simultaneously meet a social need more effectively than existing solutions and lead to new or improved capabilities and relationships and better use of assets and resources.”
Teaching Carbon Literacy to Combat Climate Change
Countries need to act now to address climate change and there is a need for collaborative approaches that connect citizens with policymakers to create sustainable solutions. The Paris Agreement notes that countries should “reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible” and “undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with best available science.”
With this is mind, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), a UNAI member institution in the United Kingdom, has partnered with The Carbon Literacy Project to promote an economy based on low-carbon energy sources with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, in particular carbon dioxide.
Fighting Modern Slavery through Awareness and Training
Article 4 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads, “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.” But according to the 2017 Global Estimates on Modern Slavery issued by the International Labour Organization, the International Organization for Migration and the Walk Free Foundation, “On any given day in 2016, there were likely to be more than 40 million men, women, and children who were being forced to work against their will under threat or who were living in a forced marriage that they had not agreed to.”
Training Students for the Green Jobs of the Future
The University of Kitakyushu (UKK), a UNAI member institution in Japan, is engaged in the development of environment-focused human resources under its “Cultivate the Environment” goal, one of three goals formulated by the university in 2016. According to the institution, solutions to environmental problems require an interdisciplinary approach, and it is essential for students to acquire knowledge and skills from a wide range of fields, as well as develop networks with people in different professions and specialties.
Sharing Personal Experiences to Combat Prejudice
The Center for Affirmative Action at the Federal University of Western Bahia (UFOB), a UNAI member institution in Brazil, hosted a series of webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic to address various forms of prejudice, such as racism, ableism, sexism, xenophobia, and other forms of exclusion. The series was held within the framework of the ‘Awakening Project’ (Projeto Despertar) and is related to Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities.
Agricultural Innovations for Food Security and Well-Being
Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, a UNAI member institution in Kazakhstan, recently hosted the 5th International Agrotechnological Summit, organized with the support of the United Nations Information Office (UNIC) in Kazakhstan. The focus of the event was the study of the recent trends and challenges in the field of sustainable agriculture and climate change around the topic of “Innovative Development of the Agro-industrial Complex in the Context of Economic Globalization.”
Advancing Women's Higher Education in Afghanistan
During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have sought to keep students engaged remotely and Lynn University, a UNAI member institution in the United States, has used its Social Impact Lab to empower students to continue contributing to their communities while studying away from campus.
Partnering with Women Forward International (WFI) and through its University Client-based Research and Implementation Lynn University became involved in a project with the Afghan Institute for Learning (AIL) to design a women’s only university curriculum in Afghanistan.
Disability and Higher Education: Workforce Preparedness for Students with Disabilities
According to the United Nations Development Programme, the global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is as low as 3 per cent, and only 1 per cent for women with disabilities. The 1 billion people with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, accounting for about 15 per cent of the global population. Therefore, it is imperative that they are fully included in society, starting with having equal access to quality education.
Disability and Higher Education: Better Architectural Choices for Inclusive Campuses
According to the United Nations Development Programme, the global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is as low as 3 per cent, and only 1 per cent for women with disabilities. The 1 billion people with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, accounting for about 15 percent of the global population. Therefore, it is imperative that they are fully included in society, including having equal access to quality education.
From Many Languages One World to Data Analyst: Yelyzaveta Dovhinka
The Many Languages, One World (MLOW) essay contest, co-hosted by ELS Educational Services and United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) from 2014-2017, challenged university students worldwide to write an essay examining global citizenship, cultural understanding and the role of multilingualism in fostering both. The essay had to be written in one of the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish), but not in the student’s first language or primary language of instruction. Winners of the contest were invited to United Nations Headquarters for the Global Youth Forum, where they created and presented action plans for the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda.
From Many Languages One World to Global Learning Network: Mark Harris
The Many Languages, One World (MLOW) essay contest, co-hosted by ELS Educational Services and United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) from 2014-2017, challenged university students worldwide to write an essay examining global citizenship, cultural understanding and the role of multilingualism in fostering both. The essay had to be written in one of the six official languages of the United Nations (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish), but not in the student’s first language or primary language of instruction.
Disability and Higher Education: “But You Don’t Look Disabled": Legitimizing Invisible Disabilities
According to the United Nations Development Programme, the global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is as low as 3 per cent, and only 1 per cent for women with disabilities. The 1 billion people with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, accounting for about 15 percent of the global population. Therefore, it is imperative that they are fully included in society, starting with having equal access to quality education.
Disability and Higher Education: Inclusivity in an Increasingly Technologically Inclined Academic World
According to the United Nations Development Programme, the global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is as low as 3 per cent, and only 1 per cent for women with disabilities. The 1 billion people with disabilities are the world’s largest minority, accounting for about 15 percent of the global population. Therefore, it is imperative that they are fully included in society, starting with having equal access to quality education.