The QS ImpACT Awards notably highlight the outstanding contributions of individuals who have served as catalysts for transformative change on a local and global scale through projects, events and initiatives in local communities or institutions that explored solutions to the sustainability challenges of today.

鈥淚t is crucial to recognize the engagement of young people with the SDGs [United Nations Sustainable Development Goals] with this award ceremony, as it does not only recognize individual achievement but creates a global community of changemakers for sustainability,鈥� says Hopkins.

Youth activism is also critical for sustainable development because it 鈥渃an lead to lasting societal change,鈥� adds Terry.

The 91亚色 members鈥� selection as judges is not only an acknowledgement of their own impact on global sustainability efforts but a recognition that 91亚色 is continuing to strengthen its momentum as a global leader in sustainability, which has included participation and appearances in rankings organized by QS, a leading international company in the education sector and a partner of QS ImpACT.

The award ceremony will be held online on Jan. 18. Register to attend: .

Article published in the January 9, 2024 issue of聽

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91亚色鈥檚 UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability Charles Hopkins, along with Executive Coordinator to the UNESCO Chair Katrin Kohl, will be among 250 experts presenting concepts toward implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) at a global UNESCO meeting in Japan.

鈥淭ransforming education together: ESD-NET Global Meeting鈥� takes place Dec. 18 to 20 and aims to highlight progress on ESD through new country-led initiatives, trends and innovations for the 2030 Agenda 鈥� an action plan to encompass the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UNESCO Chair at 91亚色 focuses on developing and strengthening global networks, as well as creating and fostering research that supports responsible and inclusive policymaking in reorienting education toward sustainability in the SDGs and beyond.

In light of the global climate crisis, humans must learn to live together sustainably and change the way they think and act as individuals and societies, says Kohl. 鈥淓ducation has an important role to play and, in turn, must change to create a peaceful and sustainable world for the survival and prosperity of current and future generations.鈥�

ESD has been identified by the United Nations as an empowering concept to address growing sustainability challenges. The global meeting will serve as a forum to understand how educators can enable learners to develop the knowledge and awareness to act for a better future.

Experts from around to world will unlock ideas for concrete, transformative action and identify specific interventions that can be carried out by UNESCO麓s member states, says Hopkins, who will contribute perspectives on higher education鈥檚 unique roles and how the whole-institution approach, or even a whole-community approach, can come to life. Canada aims to launch its own country initiative on ESD with a pan-Canadian working group in early 2024.

The session 鈥溾�� aims to discuss how to enable higher education institutions to inspire societal change through the lens of education, research and innovation, and how to embed core sustainability competencies within educational programs.

Kohl will co-moderate the 鈥溾�� to create shared projects and research focusing on transformation, technology and governance as future priorities for ESD.

The meeting will take place as a hybrid event at the United Nations University Main Campus in Tokyo. Plenary sessions on the first day will be livestreamed. For more information, visit the .

Article originally published in the December 13, 2023 issue of

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Four 91亚色 researchers are among the latest recipients of Connection Grants from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). 

Richard Saunders, Johanne Jean-Pierre and Yvonne Su from the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, and S. Nombuso Dlamini from the Faculty of Education, were awarded the funding for various knowledge mobilization activities related to their different research projects.  

The grants fund activities like research events, workshops and community outreach, and are intended to spark new connections between academic and non-academic partners, and collaboration between the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. 

Saunders鈥� project, 鈥淩esource Nationalism and African Mining Policy Innovation: Mobilizing New Research and Engaging Key Stakeholders,鈥� received $49,991. Saunders and his team will organize several outreach activities, including policy workshops on mining reform in Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, an international research conference at 91亚色, and a policy seminar in Ottawa for government officials, African diplomats and non-governmental organizations. Saunders, along with undergraduate and graduate students, will also produce policy briefs on mining sector reforms for distribution across multiple African and Canadian platforms. 

Jean-Pierre鈥檚 project, 鈥淪ymposium: Designing a flourishing future and researching with Black communities in Canada,鈥� received $13,934. The grant supports a conference to be held at 91亚色 on Nov. 20, bringing together French- and English-speaking Black interdisciplinary scholars to discuss how to conduct research with Black Canadian communities ethically and effectively. Findings from the conference will be shared in a research brief and two open-access, peer-reviewed articles to improve research methods for social scientists and health scholars who engage with Black and other historically excluded populations.   

Su鈥檚 project, 鈥�Stories of Change: Listening to Global South Perspectives on Climate-Induced Migration,鈥� received $49,945. The SSHRC funding will support a 10-episode educational podcast that will highlight Su and her colleagues鈥� research, while also focusing on the voices and stories of marginalized people and groups most impacted by climate change 鈥� displaced people and migrants, Indigenous communities and grassroots organizations in the Global South. Launch events for the podcast will also be held in Toronto, Nairobi and Berlin.  

Dlamini鈥檚 project, 鈥淓xploring Connections between Black Youth Civic Participation & Identity,鈥� received $40,636. The project, which also includes 91亚色鈥檚 Godfred Boateng and Tannaz Zargarian from the University of Fraser Valley, will involve a workshop and two webinars on the access and management of data on the contributions of Black people to Canada. The events will highlight existing and new Canadian research on Black youth civic participation and bring together scholars, youth and community service workers. A hands-on 鈥淒IY toolkit鈥� on data access, collection, analysis and management will also be developed for students and service worker participants.  

The four 91亚色 researchers were among the 64 awardees across the country to receive the latest round of Connection Grants from the SSHRC totalling $1,910,441.  

Article originally published in the October 2023 issue of of , a special edition of聽YFile聽showcasing research and innovation at 91亚色.

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91亚色 UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins will speak at the 2023 Global Conference on Sustainable Development on Oct. 4 and 5 in Hong Kong to discuss how to transform higher education towards embracing sustainability and elevate action to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This is the first international conference organized by the Hong Kong Chapter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The centre of discussion during the conference will be about strengthening the world鈥檚 commitment to the SDGs in all sectors of society and finding solutions to current and future climate and societal challenges.

Hopkins will speak on the potential of education for sustainable development (ESD) in promoting transformative, holistic change in universities, as higher education can play crucial roles in reorienting student learning, supporting a sustainable future with evidence-based knowledge, and providing support for local and global communities.

鈥淪ince ESD has been recognized by the United Nations as a key enabler of all SDGs, it is imperative to be implemented at all levels of education, in particular in higher education, as universities are important influencers within society,鈥� says Hopkins.

In August, Hopkins, as well as Katrin Kohl, executive coordinator to the UNESCO Chair, were appointed members of the High-Level Advisory Council for the SDG Academy, representing SDSN鈥檚 education and training division.

At the upcoming conference, Hopkins will join a group of world-renowned speakers, including Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations secretary general, and co鈥恈hair of the Ban Ki鈥恗oon Centre for Global Citizens, as well as Professor Jeffrey Sachs, SDSN president. Both will share their visions for a sustainable future and discuss practical solutions from around the world for the implementation of the SDGs.

The event will take place as a hybrid event in-person at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and will be streamed live on Oct. 4 and 5. Online registration is free. More details can be found at .

Article originally published in the September 27, 2023 issue of

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The UN HLPF is the central platform within the United Nations system to track progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More than 2,700 delegates are expected to attend the meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New 91亚色 from July 10-19. 38 countries and the European Union will present their Voluntary National Review (VNR) on national progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 12 special events, more than 200 side events and 21 exhibits will take place.

91亚色 contributed to Canada鈥檚 2023 , which will outline the initiatives undertaken in Canada with a focus on quality education, gender equality, climate action and partnership. In their report, 91亚色 highlighted the strategic commitments to elevate action for the SDGs through the University Academic Plan 2020-2025 and other frameworks, such as the Framework on Black Inclusion, the  and the new Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022-2027.

A key enabler, so far the only one recognized by the UN, of all of the SDGs is an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as stated in SDG 4, which 91亚色麓s UNESCO Chair has long been engaged with. The team has also worked with UNESCO and other UN agencies to promote the transformation of education and training systems and to raise public awareness for ESD. At the UN HLPF, Hopkins and Kohl will advocate for the importance of involving higher education institutions in policymaking, for modelling sustainability in the university as whole and the transformative power of quality education.

Article originally post via YFile on July 12, 2023

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