What’s this all about?
In 2015, 193 countries worldwide committed to achieve 17 essential Sustainable Develoment Goals by 2030 (the UN SDGs, or ‘Global Goals’) – a hugely ambitious global undertaking.
These goals have the power to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change so we can all survive, and thrive, on planet earth. Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society, universities, researchers and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone.
“At its essence, sustainability means ensuring prosperity and environmental protection without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A sustainable world is one where people can escape poverty and enjoy decent work without harming the earth’s essential ecosystems and resources; where people can stay healthy and get the food and water they need; where everyone can access clean energy that doesn’t contribute to climate change; where women and girls are afforded equal rights and equal opportunity.”
Ban Ki-moon, 8th UN Secretary General
What is The Global Academy?
The Global Academy is a not-for-profit social enterprise that has spun out from a busy global academic jobs board. The Global Academy is a new initiative, launching this year, linking academic research together using the UNSDG framework – ‘Research for the Goals’. We are working to support achievement of the The Global Goals by highlighting and showcasing academic work on the Goals that is making a real contribution. To support this aim, the Global Academy website is a growing resource where academics from around the world post their researcher pages to highlight how their work is supporting achievement of specific Global Goals. From here academics, and their funders, can identify opportunities for research collaboration, or important gaps in research, as we seek to meet the UN Global Goals.
Why is The Global Academy initiative important?
The Global Academy is the first independent initiative to attempt to draw together the academic research supporting achievement of the UN Global Goals by 2030. It provides an independent platform where researchers, those who fund research and the institutions housing and supporting research on the Global Goals can come together. The Global Academy is providing a unique opportunity to showcase research, find collaboration opportunities and support initiatives in under-researched areas.
Why is this initiative important for institutions supporting research?
From the experience we have gained running a global academic jobs board we know that researchers around the world are already working on all 17 goals, and their 169 underlying targets. Our website will show how and where they are making progress.
Some of these researchers are working in academic institutions where there is a genuine and coherent corporate commitment to organising, promoting and supporting research which is relevant to the achievement of The Global Goals by 2030. This is one of the ways in which these institutions wish to be defined to the rest of the world.
Some of the researchers are working in highly collaborative teams and research groups within their institutions, which may not (yet) have developed a corporate priority around research that supports the achievement of the Global Goals.
Some of the researchers may be working alone (possibly as postgraduate student, or a supervisor of a single postgraduate student) on work that is important in the context of the UN Global Goals but is not clearly recognised or supported as part of a wider research programme within their institutions.
Further, some researchers are working outside of academic institutions and undertaking research highly relevant to the achievement of the Global Goals, in their roles within, for example, commercial organisations, or perhaps public, or third, sector ‘think tanks’.
All of these researchers have a place in the Global Academy. Importantly, so do the institutions that support their work.
Institutions too can benefit from having a place, outside of their ‘corporate’ structures, to showcase internationally, and promote, the work they are doing towards the achievement of the 2030 UN Global Goals.
If you would like to discuss how your institution can become part of The Global Academy initiative please get in touch with one of the team:
