Sustainable Development Goals

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into university research and curricula is essential for preparing the next generation of leaders who will drive sustainable development. By raising awareness, developing relevant skills, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, encouraging research and innovation, and engaging in community outreach, the DWIH New York is committed to support universities in empowering researchers and students to make a real impact on global challenges. 

See also: Our page about Science Diplomacy.

Raising Awareness

A key objective of integrating the SDGs into university research and curricula is to raise awareness of the global challenges facing humanity. By familiarizing students with the SDGs and their ultimate goals, our partner universities are ideally placed to instill a sense of global citizenship and responsibility. This heightened awareness will offer researchers and students a unique opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world. 

Promoting Interdisciplinary Research

The SDGs recognize that the world’s challenges are interconnected and require interdisciplinary solutions, e.g. in plant sciences. By incorporating the SDGs into curriculums across various disciplines, universities can promote collaboration between students and faculty from different fields. This interdisciplinary approach can lead to innovative solutions, foster a deeper understanding of the complexities of sustainable development, and prepare students for the increasingly interconnected nature of the global workforce. 

Encouraging Research and Innovation

Universities, through their research and teaching, are central hubs for research and innovation, an ideal position to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. By integrating the SDGs into research agendas and supporting projects that address them, universities generate new approaches, knowledge, and essentially drive innovation in fostering sustainable development.

Establishing Partnerships:  

Incorporating the SDGs into university research and curricula reaches beyond education. Universities are central places to engage in broader outreach and establish partnerships with cities, local and regional organizations, government and ministries, as well as innovators and businesses to solve sustainability issues. These collaborations provide actors with applied skills and knowledge relevant for real-world scenarios furthering exchange of everyone involved as changemakers. 

The DWIH NY, in line with the SDGs, aims to promote cross-sectoral engagement and critical understanding of sustainable development issues in research and curricula, enhance tools for future forecasting, global governance capacity, and strengthen public awareness of their active role in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs. The DWIH NY seeks to support closing the action-knowledge gap to draw on existing best practices, knowledge and capacities required to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and support concrete outcomes and lasting impact at the university and higher education level.

Source: Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UNDP, 2015)  

 

Event Recording Excerpts

Event Recording Excerpts

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Event “Integrating the SDGs into Higher Education Curricula and Research”

On July 12, 2023, the Education Outreach Section from the UN Department of Global Communications and the DWIH New York invited higher education professionals and university alliance leaders to an informal lunch session on the efforts of the UN to support the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into university curricula and research.

Takeaways Event “Integrating the SDGs into HIE Curricula and Research” (EN – PDF – 0.3 MB)

Other Resources

  • Science-Policy Brief for the Multistakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs in May 2024, written by DWIH New York Head of Programs Dr. Jan Lüdert. Read and download the PDF.
  • Read about the role of the SDGs at the DAAD and its commitment to the 2030 Agenda.
  • Germany’s Measures to Achieve the SDGs – compilation by German Consulate General New York in November 2022: Download (PDF – EN – 0.5 MB)
  • OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) engagement: Territorial approach to SDGs and EECOLE Platform.

Disclaimer: The above list is indicative and neither exclusive nor exhaustive. The information provided on this page has been sourced from third party websites. The DWIH New York is not liable for the content of any websites run by third parties. The organizations listed here have not been asked for their permission to feature this information. By featuring these reports the DWIH New York does not promote these organizations.