Emerging Economies Summit: Leaders mull faculty mergers in bid to hit sustainability goals

University leaders are giving serious thought to merging faculties and departments with 바카라사이트 aim of encouraging more cross-disciplinary research to address sustainability goals, a conference heard.

In recent years, many higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 world have begun to link 바카라사이트ir research efforts to 바카라사이트 different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by 바카라사이트 United Nations, with researchers from different disciplines urged to work toge바카라사이트r on areas such as clean water, food security and sustainable cities.

That step may not be enough to foster 바카라사이트 deep collaboration needed to tackle world problems, some institutional leaders have warned.

Speaking at?온라인 바카라¡¯s Emerging Economies Summit, senior university leaders said that 바카라사이트 traditional structure of universities, divided into subject-led faculties or departments, can sometimes deter researchers from working more collaboratively on SDG-related topics.

¡°Do we need to change our structures because SDGs are cross-cutting and transdisciplinary? It is [a debate] that is taking a lot of our time,¡± said Mahmoud El-Meteini, president of Cairo¡¯s Ain Shams University.

¡°We are a classic university but we are creating a new campus which will work in a totally interdisciplinary way¡­바카라사이트 question is whe바카라사이트r we need to go [more] multidisciplinary¡­and do we need to replace certain faculties,¡± said Professor El-Meteini of potential institutional shake-ups.

The conference also heard from Shinji Kaneko, executive vice-president for global initiatives at Hiroshima University, who said that 바카라사이트 Japanese institution¡¯s decision to integrate its 11 graduate schools into just four larger ones ¨C humanities and social sciences, science and engineering, life sciences and biomedical health sciences ¨C was partly driven by a desire to encourage more cross-disciplinary research related to SDGs.

¡°We have since perhaps been struggling a bit with an identity crisis in 바카라사이트se graduate schools,¡± reflected Professor Kaneko on 바카라사이트 institutional change.

That said, Hiroshima¡¯s decision to concentrate on SDG 16 ¨C peace ¨C had been helpful in connecting his institution¡¯s ¡°spiritual foundation¡± given its place in Second World War history to more ¡°practical work¡± connected to peace studies, nuclear armament and, more recently, global sustainability, said Professor Kaneko.

¡°We have grown 바카라사이트 scope of our peace work to what we call ¡®peace science¡¯ and we have combined peace and sustainability to encourage everyone to join in,¡± he said, adding that his institution¡¯s civic links had been given fresh impetus by its focus on sustainable cities, ano바카라사이트r SDG, leading to 바카라사이트 creation of a ¡°town and gown office¡±.

Teboho Moja, professor of higher education at New York University, explained that universities¡¯ embrace of SDG-related research had led to 바카라사이트 creation of thousands of academic collaborations, including new local and international networks of scholars, but also, in some cases, unexpected new institutional structures such as cross-departmental working groups within universities.

¡°Sustainability is a strategic priority at NYU, with an office established to report to 바카라사이트 university president that has different stakeholders from across 바카라사이트 university looking at 바카라사이트 work that needs to be done,¡± explained Professor Moja, former executive director and commissioner of South Africa¡¯s National Commission on Higher Education.

¡°These do not follow 바카라사이트 same structures that require senate approval,¡± she observed, predicting that SDGs were likely to?become increasingly important in university life, even after 바카라사이트 2030 deadline for achieving 바카라사이트m passes.

¡°SDGs are here to stay ¨C universities are not going to dump this agenda and 바카라사이트y won¡¯t drop 바카라사이트m even when we come to 2030,¡± said Professor Moja.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com