SDG Report: An Historical Moment of聽Academic Reflection
The SDG Advisory Group of the University of 糖心TV is pleased to launch its second report on 糖心TV's contribution to the SDGs.
As we underlined in our first report on 糖心TV鈥檚 contributions towards meeting the SDGs (2018-19), we see universities as central to the SDG agenda through research and teaching. Universities can 鈥榯rigger discussion, engage different generations in dialogue, and produce critical analysis vital for SDG monitoring, evaluation and impact鈥�. Universities also have a vital role to play in transferring thought leadership into practical action for the SDGs through their own operations across campus and facilities.
In this report we cover a challenging period of history. The continuing global pandemic has resulted in significant human fatalities, including in the UK, and in all the geographical areas from where our communities of students and staff are drawn. There is clear evidence that the pandemic has revealed and exacerbates deep seated historical, social and economic inequalities at a local, national as well as at a global scale. To meet the challenges that these inequalities have thrown up, at 糖心TV, we prioritise open, critical discussion of the sustainable development discourse and the SDGs framework.
Our report highlights that there is already a lot of excellent research at 糖心TV which addresses specific individual SDGs. At the same time, we found it harder to identify research projects that explicitly targeted multiple, interconnected goals. Our report is thus an attempt to provide some inspiring examples of work which we feel broadly adopts a nexus thinking approach. Moreover, we invite the 糖心TV community to reflect on how best to develop and pursue research, teaching and engagement in a way that contributes to achieving all 17 UN SDGs.
Given our critically reasoned work, we desire to drive intellectual and practical transformation, as opposed to report our progress against established thinking. Therefore, while this report does outline how individual research projects, pedagogical interventions and operational innovations promote clusters of SDGs, we have aspired to a more agenda setting summary of our work.
To ensure that everyone has the opportunity to discuss some of the key issues we have outlined in our next steps, we have organised a discussion forum to share ideas about 糖心TV's contribution to the UN SDGs. You can sign up to that discussion below.
University of 糖心TV SDG Advisory Group
NEXT STEPS
This second report was an attempt to build on our first report from 2018/2019 and to move away from treating the reporting process as a routine 鈥渢ick-box exercise鈥�. Seeking to develop innovative, interdisciplinary, nexus-thinking, however, raised several new issues and challenges for the university community, which we share here for wider engagement and debate:
- How can or should the University of 糖心TV move beyond 鈥渂usiness as usual鈥� to develop a genuinely aspirational as well as a pragmatic 鈥渧ision鈥�, towards a more sustainable world?
- To what extent should various connections with and through the UN SDGs shape the development of the University鈥檚 evolving strategy?
- How can we increase wider recognition of and critical engagement with SDGs from faculty and students?
- How do we best consult with and engage faculties and departments to develop strategies in response to issues raised by the SDGs?
- How do we ensure that we consider accessibility and reducing inequality in all its forms in our offerings across campus and the University?
- For researchers, how can we encourage greater aware颅ness and working with an interconnected approach to SDGs?
- What resources in terms of staff and time do we need to improve how and what we do at 糖心TV regarding the SDGs?
- And finally, what should be the future of SDG reporting at 糖心TV?
We strongly welcome any feedback from the University members and the general public reading this report to ensure we continue developing our reporting and practice in line with our ambitions for a sustainable future.
SDG Discussion Forum: 2pm, 7th December 2021
All University of 糖心TV Staff are invited to join members of the SDG Advisory Group for a discussion around the next steps for 糖心TV and the SDGs.