Panel Discussion I

Higher Education’s Role in Securing a More Inclusive and Sustainable Future: An Emerging Need to Act and Transform


Panel Overview I

The Panel will bring together leading experts to present and discuss universities’ approaches to the SDGs and how the sector can collaboratively work together to create a more inclusive and sustainable future through embracing a holistic, transformative and cross-disciplinary, cross-boundary approach and set of actions. The experts on the panel will present strategies and frameworks for action that can be adopted to implement SDGs based on the UNESCO ESD for 2030 Roadmap. This includes but is not limited to the need for universities to revise their institutional strategies in the context of the 2030 agenda, integrating stakeholders’ leadership in sustainability actions in particular students, implementing sustainable development goals in teaching, research and organization, etc. The Panel will also consider the key competences approaches for sustainability and how can institutions of higher learning monitor the SDGs and measure their impact.

 

Objectives:

Overall, the panel aims to:

1. Discuss the critical role universities play in in delivering the 2030 SDGs to those within their sphere of influence and the sort of contributions they bring in 

2. Highlight main considerations for successfully implementing and mainstreaming SDGs across institution and the sort of competencies required f or that

3. Present some of the most common approaches used to embrace and implement SDGs (i.e., SDGs focused curriculum and extracurricular activities, Sustainable development degrees, SDGs focused Interdisciplinary research, DG-focused project, SDGs awareness and capacity building.) 

4. Share some of the existing frameworks and initiatives to assess SDGs implementation 

5. Discuss strategies and initiatives to further expand and deepen the implementation of SDGs in Universities – what did we learn so far?

 

Panel Discussion II

Higher Education’s Role in Securing a More Inclusive and Sustainable Future: An Emerging Need to Act and Transform


Panel Overview

Education for Sustainable Development means including key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning, research, community work and partnerships, internal activities, etc. It involves addressing a range of issues such as quality education, equity, climate change, disaster risk reduction, poverty reduction, quality education, etc. The role of women leadership is essential for the achievement of a sustainable society and is therefore needed at all levels within the higher education eco-system including in university leadership.

A number of research studies indicated that generally women leaders tend to be more philanthropical and empathetic; showing higher levels of care about others, ability to adopt an inclusive ‘stakeholder’ approach, a capability to effectively combining the interest of multiple key players while creating engagement and overall being more socially responsible. Such communal attributes are inevitably reflected in women's leadership style and become essential in fostering the transition to sustainable education.

This panel aims to address how women are leading their institution’s sustainable development agenda and what sort of strategies, approaches and actions they have been following to create impact and make a difference. It also will touch-upon some of the challenges they face and how these are addressed. 

 

Objectives:

Overall, the panel aims to:

1. Discuss why women leaders are essential to driving sustainability in higher education and what are the main characteristics of female sustainability leaders  

2. Address the relationship between competences, skills, attitudes, capacities, and types of leadership required to driving sustainability in higher education 

3. Present tangible examples of how are women are driving sustainability – what main actions are they have taken?

4. Highlight some of the main challenges female higher education sustainability leaders face and how these can be overcome  

 

Best Practices Panel

Transforming Higher Education to
Contribute to Sustainable Development Goals


This panel will present success stories on how higher education institutions are embedding sustainable development in their core mission, strategic priorities and key activities through a pragmatic and multidisciplinary approach. This includes research and innovations, institutional leadership and student initiatives, innovative practices in teaching and learning, large scale projects and other initiatives that higher education institutions are carrying out with the aim of implementing the 2030 Agenda.

 

Objectives:

Overall, the panel aims to:

1. Present successful examples of university-led efforts to support reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 

2. Discuss different ways in which various stakeholders’ involvement, engagement and ‘buy-in’ needed to drive university sustainability agenda has been achieved.

3. Address key strategies adopted for getting government, business, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and academia to impactfully work together on achieving the 2030 SDGs

 

 

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