Students and scholars from across the New York metropolitan area gathered at the United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Library to explore how universities can drive the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event, organized by Alex Hiniker of Carnegie Mellon University through its Sustainability Initiative and hosted by UN Academic Impact, featured presentations from Carnegie Mellon University, Lehigh University, and The New School, with the University of California, Davis joining virtually. All participating universities are UN Academic Impact member institutions, including Pratt Institute, Northeastern University, Columbia University, and New York University.
Maher Nasser, Director of the UN Outreach Division, opened the session by encouraging students to continue advancing the SDGs. Hiniker then delved into the significance of peer learning and the power of shared problem-solving.
Presentations began with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Operations. Mikaela Hong and Caleb Seamon introduced the city’s Voluntary Local Review (VLR), a framework to track local progress on the SDGs. Rather than creating a new system, the VLR makes existing efforts visible and measurable. They also underscored disparities between New York’s global image and local realities. For example, Black maternal mortality rates are 135 per cent higher than the state average. The VLR addresses gaps in structure by focusing on measurement, long-term accountability, and sustained learning beyond 2030.
Carnegie Mellon University followed with a health-centred approach to sustainability. Aleena Siddiqui, Ameena George, Imama Zahoor, and Iris Hung demonstrated how the university integrates health services, dining, housing, and design to frame sustainability as a quality-of-life issue. Their “Design for Health” workshop, developed with the School of Architecture, explored how everyday spaces—such as sidewalks and green areas—shape both health and sustainability outcomes.
Lehigh University then turned attention to institutional self-awareness. Abraham Boakye Yarba and Indira Alvarado asked participants whether they considered themselves self-aware; most raised their hands. They noted, however, that while 85 per cent of people believe they are self-aware, only 15 per cent are. In the context of the SDGs, only 18 per cent of targets are currently on track. They emphasized that data alone is insufficient if institutions cannot recognize their own blind spots, and called for tools such as SWOT analysis to support reflection and translate awareness into measurable progress.
The New School presented its Voluntary University Review (VUR), a framework developed since 2023 under Professor Mark Johnson to measure SDG progress across higher education institutions. The VUR translates global goals into university-specific outcomes and indicators, comparing baseline data (2011–2016) with midterm data (2022–2026). Early findings were mixed: courses related to sustainability, climate change, inclusivity, and disaster management grew from 1,795 to 5,049, and sustainable consumption clubs roughly doubled, while poverty-focused coursework increased only from 22 to 24. The team also launched an interactive website enabling other universities to build their own VURs using an adaptable global template, strengthening accountability across institutions.
The University of California, Davis presented virtually on its partnership with the City of Sacramento through a joint VLR. This collaboration between a university and local government offers a replicable model for SDG localization and tracks student engagement within a global framework.
Participants introduced their research before joining breakout discussions on university SDG implementation. Key themes included strengthening city partnerships, aligning institutional commitments with action, sustaining student leadership, and improving measurement tools.
The workshop concluded with a group photo, though discussions continued during a visit to Pratt Institute’s Research Open House. The event underscored that there is no single pathway to achieving the SDGs. Progress depends on accountability, adaptability, and continuous learning. As one student noted, meaningful change comes from sustained engagement and a commitment to holding institutions accountable.
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