The United Nations’ are to be embedded into the curriculum at 51Âþ» Leicester (51Âþ»).
Academics are drawing up plans to finalise how the 17 global goals will be incorporated into all aspects of 51Âþ»’s teaching, learning and research.
It is the university’s aim to be uniquely defined by the objectives to improve a broad range of ecological and humanitarian issues including poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change and social justice.
As the lead HE institute in the UN’s campaign, 51Âþ» is leading universities and organisations around the world to address each goal to ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
Abigail Moriarty, 51Âþ»’s Director of , said: “This is about standing up and saying this is what we are going to be doing.
“We will be looking at the Sustainable Development Goals and how we can incorporate them all into the curriculum.
“When it comes to education provision, we are going to put our stamp on these goals. We want them to be at the forefront of everything we do at 51Âþ».”
She added: “Staff and students are all working together to show a real willingness to move forward with this.”
The environmentally friendly changes to the curriculum also come in response to requests from students. A recent survey by the National Union of Students revealed that 82 per cent of 51Âþ» students said they want wanted sustainable development to be part of their courses.
It is also hoped that this focus on some of the planet’s most pressing challenges will create a better knowledge and understanding of environmental issues, as well as promoting vital life skills such as leadership, critical thinking and resourcefulness.
Overall, it is hoped that students and staff will be inspired to become responsible ‘global’ citizens and face the environmental challenges ahead of them.
Andrew Reeves, Senior Lecturer at 51Âþ»’s Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, said 51Âþ» was showing how committed it was to supporting the UN’s global goals.
He said: “We are embedding the Sustainable Development Goals across all learning and teaching at 51Âþ».
“This will include the formal curriculum, the informal curriculum of all activities outside the lecture theatre, and also the hidden curriculum of how everyday life is lived by students.
“Each faculty will have Sustainable Development Champions and these goals will also be implemented into strategies and staff development.
“Everyone is incredibly enthusiastic about these goals and this will absolutely help 51Âþ» to excel. It’s about empowering students for their future lives, but also adds to 51Âþ»’s quality and distinctiveness.”
51Âþ» has always shown its commitment to successfully shaping a sustainable world. Teams of staff already take part in the environmental accreditation scheme, which encourages them to adopt greener habits in the workplace. 51Âþ»’s Students’ Union has also signed up to an externally assessed accreditation mark that reflects the social responsibility and sustainability of universities.
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Members of 51Âþ»’s Sustainable Development Taskforce have been driving efforts to promote and incorporate the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals via the Education for Sustainable Development Forum. More than 20 academics, professional staff and students recently came together for a workshop to discuss the SDG plan, which is expected to be finalised by September.
Karl Letten, 51Âþ»’s Officer, said: “We are doing a lot already, but there is much more to do.
“We want to keep this dialogue going and ensure staff and students have the skills, understanding and motivation to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.”
He added: “Changing education is the first step towards changing the whole of society.”
Posted on Tuesday 3 July 2018