With the presence of representatives from 79 countries from all continents, the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development, an initiative of UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, linked to the UN.
The Network is a platform for learning, exchange and partnerships for universities in Latin America and the Caribbean, always focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The motivation for creating the Network comes from the recognition of the role of universities as fundamental actors for the SDGs to materialize in the future. “The Network will allow universities to learn about initiatives, activities and programs of other institutions in the field of SDG learning, create partnerships among themselves and with UNITAR, and improve their teaching models through exclusive access to official learning material from the UN, documentation and resources around the SDGs and sustainable development”, explained Marco Suazo, head of the UNITAR office in New York. 11 countries are already partners of the Network. From Brazil, in addition to Unicamp, the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) and the Federal Fluminense University (UFF) participate.
The launch of the network also included the participation of Maria Francesca Spatolisano, assistant secretary for policies and interinstitutional affairs at the United Nations Department of Economy and Society. “It will not be possible to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda without learning from each other,” said the secretary. According to her, the pandemic has worsened the problem of access to education in many countries and, in this sense, the UNITAR initiative goes in the direction of democratizing education. The executive director of UNITAR, Nilhil Seth, highlighted the need to share knowledge and thus accelerate the achievement of the goals set out in the 17 SDGs, in particular the reduction of poverty, hunger and inequalities and the promotion of health. “The university has a special role in influencing decision makers and public managers,” he stated.
In his speech, the rector of Unicamp, Antonio José de Almeida Meirelles, highlighted the commitment to incorporating the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals into the University's day-to-day activities. He mentioned the approval of the Master plan, whose goals are fully aligned with the SDGs and the project of Sustainable Campus, with its various initiatives for more sustainable use of electrical energy, including the construction of small photovoltaic plants on the Barão Geraldo campus. “We currently have six operational plants, which also function as living laboratories for learning and research purposes”, highlighted the dean.
He also mentioned the project of HIDS, an initiative coordinated by Unicamp that involves 13 other institutions and whose main objective is to create a model district where national and international actors can come together in an effort to educate future leaders, create knowledge and develop innovative technologies that will contribute to reducing water consumption , mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and preserve the environment. “As everyone knows, universities play a crucial role in leading the world towards a better future - a future in which our planet is healthy, wild species thrive, and people respect each other and live decent lives,” said Tom Zé . “We hope that our membership in the Network will allow us to learn from the experience of other prestigious institutions in Latin America, as much as we look forward to sharing our knowledge and collaborating with both Unitar and Network members on topics of crucial importance to the compliance with the SDGs”, he concluded.
On the platform created by UNITAR there is a specific portal for students and another for teachers where materials on sustainable development, global warming and the SDGs, prepared by UNITAR and the UN, will be made available. Universities will also be able to register courses, projects and events. It is possible to search based on a specific SDG and also by selecting a country or institution.
Learn more at: Network of Universities for Sustainable Development
Watch the video of the launch ceremony:
