Research Topics

Research and academic activities aligned with every Sustainable Development Goal

Topics Header Photo
The University shall devote its work to research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations and its agencies.
Charter of the United Nations University

People — topics on improving lives of people everywhere

Planet — topics on preserving and improving our environment and natural resources

Prosperity — topics on building a sustainable and fulfilling future

Peace and partnerships — topics on fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies

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UNU Council Member UNU Council Member; Raffles Professor of Social Sciences, National University of Singapore

Prof. Brenda Yeoh

Professor Brenda S.A. Yeoh is a Singaporean scholar and expert in the fields of migration, social geography, and the politics of space in colonial and post-colonial cities.

Expert Junior Research Fellow

Bavo Stevens

Bavo Stevens was a Junior Research Fellow at the UNU Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility (UNU-GCM).

Event -

Science Talk: Arctic Land-Ocean Interactions and Biogeochemical Processes

Using field expeditions and satellite remote sensing to track how rapid Arctic change is reshaping carbon flows between land, rivers and ocean.

Discussion Paper 21 Oct 2026

Keeping Options Open in the Deep Ocean

Advances in deep-ocean exploration are bringing questions of interpretation, governance and collective choice into sharper focus.

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Exhibition: "Shared Lives, Shared Future: The United Nations in Our Everyday Lives"

To mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s admission to the UN, this exhibition explores how the UN shapes everyday life in Japan and around the world.

Side Event -

A Reckoning of Subsidies and Incentives that Impact Socio-Ecological Resilience at the Level of Local Implementation

YEREVAN: This event at CBD COP17 will discuss how subsidies and incentives affect socio-ecological resilience at the local level.

Event

Science Talk: Legal Pathways to Promote Water Cooperation in the Amu Darya Basin

Understanding how existing legal frameworks can support Afghanistan’s integration into Amu Darya Basin governance and strengthen regional water cooperation

Blog Post 21 Oct 2026

Commentary: The Pan-African Sustainability Conference 2026

Barbara Baidoo(UNU-INRA Research Fellow), shares her contribution on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), during her panel discussion at PASC 2026.

Feature 21 Oct 2026

Rethinking Development Finance

Stephen Hammer on the World Bank’s outcome bond with UNICEF and the potential to scale innovative financing across the UN system.