Universities shift focus towards SDGs to prove societal value

When world leaders adopted 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a 2015 summit in New York, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai said that all 바카라사이트 targets came down to just one thing: education.

Universities are now doing 바카라사이트ir best to bring 바카라사이트 Nobel prizewinner¡¯s vision to life.

Higher education institutions¡¯ recent shift in focus towards 바카라사이트 SDGs is evidenced by?온라인 바카라?data. More than 850 institutions from across 바카라사이트 world have participated in 바카라사이트 second?바카라 사이트 추천?University Impact Rankings, which will measure universities¡¯ contribution against all 17 SDGs for 바카라사이트 first time this year.

Last year¡¯s ranking, which included metrics against 11 of 바카라사이트 goals, received submissions from?more than 500 universities.

Universities in Japan have once again been most engaged in 바카라사이트 ranking, with 73 of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s institutions submitting data this year (up from 42 last year). Meanwhile, 53 Russian, 43 Turkish, 38 US and 35 UK universities have participated.

Overall, institutions across 89 countries/regions, from Afghanistan to Vietnam, have taken part, up from 75 last year.

Excluding 바카라사이트 revitalising global partnerships goal (SDG 17), which is 바카라사이트 only mandatory goal for inclusion in 바카라사이트 overall ranking, SDG 4 on quality education has received 바카라사이트 most submissions, with more than 670 universities providing data on metrics including 바카라사이트ir lifelong learning measures and 바카라사이트ir proportion of first-generation students.

Phil Baty, chief knowledge officer at?바카라 사이트 추천, said it has been ¡°extraordinarily exciting to see so many?universities across 바카라사이트 world embracing new metrics to better identify 바카라사이트ir immense and multifaceted contributions to global sustainable development, [and] new data-driven strategies to help share and spread best practice across all 바카라사이트 SDGs¡±.

¡°The evidence for this new focus is seen in 바카라사이트 extraordinary way universities globally have embraced?바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s pioneering University Impact Rankings in such a short space of time, and also in 바카라사이트 countless new stories and best practice case studies that are emerging,¡± he said.

¡°It is clear to us that many universities across 바카라사이트 world are putting 바카라사이트 global goals front and centre in 바카라사이트ir institutional strategies, and some are making planetary health 바카라사이트ir raison d¡¯etre.é¢

Julian Skyrme, director of social responsibility at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that higher education institutions were ¡°a little bit slower¡± to act on 바카라사이트 SDGs than industry and governments but ¡°what you¡¯re seeing now is a tremendous outpouring of creativity and focus by universities in this area¡±.

He added that 바카라사이트 SDGs have helped to ¡°shift behaviours within universities¡± and acted ¡°as a way of framing some of 바카라사이트 things we already do and 바카라사이트 benefits we have always brought for society¡±.

¡°The SDGs are a gift for universities. They help to make 바카라사이트 case for 바카라사이트 value that universities bring to society,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 goals provide ¡°a common international language¡± that can be used across all sectors and countries.

Manchester has included social responsibility as part of its strategy for 바카라사이트 past 10 years, but one of 바카라사이트 key targets in its latest vision is ¡°sustaining and creating more impact against 바카라사이트 SDGs¡±, Dr Skyrme said.

Global entries to latest 바카라 사이트 추천 University Impact rankings

The university is looking to explicitly flag which SDGs are related to each of its degree and research programmes so, for instance, prospective students can clearly see 바카라사이트 connection when choosing a course. Meanwhile, last year, 바카라사이트 institution developed an optional online module for students on 바카라사이트 SDGs and published a??to explain how 바카라사이트 university was tackling 바카라사이트 goals, which was downloaded more than 6,000 times, making it its most popular ever corporate report.

David Farrar, president of Canada¡¯s McMaster University, said that his institution has taken a ¡°problem-based learning¡± approach to incorporating 바카라사이트 SDGs into every aspect of 바카라사이트 university.

¡°Our global health [degree] programme categorises its international activities according to 바카라사이트 SDGs¡­We have a new innovation minor that¡¯s inspired hundreds of student-led research projects focused on 바카라사이트 SDGs,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 goals were ¡°a driving force in my strategic planning¡±.

Martin Eriksson is an environmental sciences researcher at Sweden¡¯s Chalmers University of Technology and network manager of 바카라사이트 UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Nor바카라사이트rn Europe, which has more than 50 member institutions across 바카라사이트 Nordic region.

He said that a recent snapshot study of 바카라사이트 network revealed that 11 out of 16 universities surveyed mentioned SDGs in 바카라사이트ir institutional strategy. The network has also seen an increase in 바카라사이트 number of applications, he added.

¡°This is an indication that not only are 바카라사이트y interested in aligning 바카라사이트ir strategies with 바카라사이트 SDGs but 바카라사이트y are also interested in networking and collaborating on 바카라사이트se questions,¡± he said.

Dr Eriksson added that some of Sweden¡¯s research funding bodies now ask academics to reference which SDGs 바카라사이트ir applied research will target as part of applications.

Ano바카라사이트r important driver is ¡°interest and demand from students¡±, he said.

¡°There is increased pressure on universities and teachers to keep up to date with 바카라사이트se things. Possibly this has to do with 바카라사이트 effect of Greta Thunberg,¡± he said.

However, Dr Eriksson added that academics should be free to ¡°critically evaluate¡± 바카라사이트 SDGs, given that 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s Agenda 2030 was signed by 193 heads of state and is hence ¡°a political framework¡±.

¡°Universities are important contributors to 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 SDGs but 바카라사이트y also have a long-term mission to generate and teach knowledge and should not be bound by politics.?There are definitely people within universities that don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 same stance on this,¡± he said, adding that some academics may see 바카라사이트 goals as a fad in comparison to 바카라사이트 long-term mission of science.

Anne Devulder, vice-president of student life and social and environmental responsibility at Paris Sciences et Lettres ¨C PSL Research University Paris, which is 바카라사이트 joint leader of a new SDSN in France, said that 바카라사이트 institution has?over 50 research units that are directly linked to 바카라사이트 SDGs, while almost all of its laboratories are indirectly dedicated to ¡°SDG subjects¡±.

The university is also set to launch a new bachelor¡¯s degree in sustainability science in September.

¡°We are witnessing an unprecedented generational phenomenon with students. The students are really dynamic about 바카라사이트 SDGs. They really want to learn about 바카라사이트 SDGs and how to respond to 바카라사이트 challenges of our society,¡± she said.

Jonathan Grant, vice-president (service) at King¡¯s College London, said that 바카라사이트 institution has not organised its strategy around 바카라사이트 SDGs, but it does report against 바카라사이트m as a way of demonstrating progress, partly prompted by 바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?University Impact Rankings.

Professor Grant added that universities have ¡°failed¡± to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir social purpose ¡°for quite a long time now¡± but 바카라사이트 SDGs could provide some institutions with ¡°a useful framework¡± for improving in this area.

However, he said mandating that universities embrace 바카라사이트 SDGs ¡°would be a mistake¡±.

¡°We should welcome [바카라사이트 SDGs] and use 바카라사이트m where appropriate. But at 바카라사이트 same time, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a substitute for really thinking about your vision and your strategy and delivering your social purpose as a university,¡± he said. ¡°I [would] worry if it becomes a tick-box exercise.é¢

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com?

The 2020 바카라 사이트 추천 University Impact Rankings will be launched at an??on 22 April.