As part of the SDG Action Weekend in New York, a UNU event discussed the role of postgraduate education in achieving the global goals. Held at the UNU Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) on 16 September 2023, the event reflected on international and transdisciplinary higher education initiatives in Bangladesh, Germany, and Japan.
Experts from UNU and several partner institutions explored the potential of postgraduate education to address sustainable development challenges, focusing on partnerships between the Global North and the Global South. The event also exchanged strategies and best practices for integrating environmental management and resource–nexus concepts into postgraduate curriculums.
The event featured remarks by UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala on the critical role of higher education for sustainable development. UNU-IAS Director Prof. Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi spoke on how to accelerate achievement of the 2030 Agenda through higher education, emphasizing the need to empower youth as change agents and future leaders. She shared how UNU-IAS was building capacity through its recently launched master’s degree specialisation on the Paris Agreement, and other initiatives.
Discussion underlined the importance of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration, including between the Global North and the Global South. Participants highlighted that UNU was uniquely placed to advance global sustainability, as an international university within the UN system with a wide network of academic institutions and other partners.
In addition to this event, UNU-IAS contributed to the event Catalyzing Transformative Change: Science, Academia, and the Journey to 2030, held on 16 September 2023 at UN headquarters in New York.