Discover the latest report on SDGs activities carried out by the IAU HESD Cluster members.

Discover the latest report on SDGs activities carried out by the IAU HESD Cluster members.

A decade ago, the United Nations set a bold and inclusive vision for global transformation with the adoption of the UN Agenda 2030 – Transforming our World and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a holistic framework built on 5 pillars, environmental, social, economic dimensions, and peace and partnerships as key enablers for this much needed progress. It acknowledged the essential contributions of all sectors, yet, while higher education was recognized as a stakeholder, its pivotal role in advancing the SDGs was not given the centrality it deserves.

“Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 8: Economic Growth and Decent Work for All” is a comprehensive, open-access book that explores the challenges and solutions for achieving SDG 8, put together by the University of Gothenburg and the SDG 8 Cluster.

This fourth comprehensive report on the activities of the IAU HESD Cluster provides valuable insights into the efforts of the Members of the International Association of Universities (IAU) to address the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It underscores the crucial role of higher education and partnership in achieving these global goals.

The IAU Global Cluster on HESD promotes the role and potential that HEIs globally have in order to achieve the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. The Cluster encourages collaboration and takes a holistic approach to the SDGs, focusing specifically on the whole-institution approach. The IAU Global Cluster on HESD brings HEIs from all continents together and encourages them to develop joint initiatives and synergies.

The report, published in January 2023, presents the findings and analyses trends from the third global survey on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD). IAU conducted the survey in 2022 and received 464 valid responses from higher education institutions in 120 countries were collected. The findings show that higher education and partnerships are essential to address the global challenges identified in the UN Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to build a more sustainable future together.

The In Focus section features a rich selection of papers on the overarching WHEC2022 theme — ’Reinventing Higher Education for a Sustainable Future’. It will take you on a journey from East to West, from South to North, demonstrating the multiplicity and specificity of the contexts in which we are operating, and illustrating similarities in the challenges confronting us and in the opportunities we are leveraging.

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) calls for increased efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and gather ocean stakeholders worldwide behind a common framework that will that ensure ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for sustainable development of the Ocean.

The In Focus section of this volume is dedicated to the theme Leadership for a Sustainable Future – Higher Education and Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals and features a series of reflections on Leadership for a Sustainable Future – Higher Education and Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals including 34 articles from all regions of the world.

The International Association of Universities (IAU) is an Implementing Partner for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the two organisations have a longstanding partnership through which they stress the important role higher education can play in promoting and enhancing the rule of law and sustainable development, in particular SDG 16.

The IAU Global Cluster on HESD promotes the role and potential that HEIs globally have in order to achieve the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. The Cluster encourages collaboration and takes a holistic approach to the SDGs, focusing specifically on the whole-institution approach. Read the IAU Global Cluster on HESD Activity Report 2020-2021 here.

Launched on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2021 and part of a series of publications on university actions for the SDGs, this publication features contributions from 12 universities from different parts of the world. It also provides evidence to policy and decision-makers in order to stress the important role of higher education for effective implementation of the SDGs.

The IAU Global Cluster on HESD promotes the role and potential that HEIs globally have in order to achieve the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. The Cluster encourages collaboration and takes a holistic approach to the SDGs, focusing specifically on the whole-institution approach. Read the IAU Global Cluster on HESD Activity Report 2019-2020 here.

This report is the result of the analysis of the 2nd Global Survey on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) conducted by IAU in June and July 2019. It shows the important role that Universities and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations and where issues still exist. It is also proof of the commitment and responsibilities of many Higher Education Institutions globally towards the 2030 Agenda.