News

M. Stanley Whittingham, a Professor of Binghamton University, State University of New York (SUNY), was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for development of lithium-ion batteries, which "have revolutionized our lives" and "laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society."

Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil or an aggregate medium. The University of Pretoria’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences is collaborating with the Impilo projects to research the aeroponics and its potential contributions to end hunger and malnutrition.

Flocking is the processes of people coming together to share social and economic resources, including information, time, money or food. Professor Liesel Ebersöhn, Director of the Centre for the Study of Resilience, University of Pretoria, explains this tradition of flocking through the story of school gardens that provide food to teachers, students and families in her book “Flocking Together: An Indigenous Psychology Theory of Resilience in Southern Africa”.

The African continent is rich in history, culture, diversity and most of all, innovation and capacity. Irma Eloff, Professor of Educational Psychology of the University of Pretoria, sought to capture these stories of success in Africa in her recently published book - the Handbook of Quality of Life in African Societies.

A profound change of the global food and agricultural system is needed to nourish today's 800 million hungry and the additional 2 billion increase in global population expected by 2050. In celebration of the 2019 World Food Day, UNAI is collaborating with the University of Pretoria to launch a series of articles focusing on food security in Africa.

In October, we are highlighting Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2 – No Poverty and Zero Hunger – as the Goals of the Month, in light of the International Days on Food, Poverty Eradication and Rural Women.

Universidad Mayor de San Simón has been developing a set of forestry and silviculture actions in the Cochabamba’s Metropolitan Region of Bolivia. Committed to Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land and Goal 13: Climate Action, the university’s initiative aims at combating forest loss and reducing the effects of climate change that has affected the region.

Throughout Sudan’s tumultuous history of revolutions against dictatorships, racism, and war, Sudanese women have long been held back from actively participating in politics. To promote gender equality and women’s empowerment, Ahfad University for Women, United Nations Academic Impact SDG Hub for Gender Equality, hosted a seminar entitled “Women’s role in Civil Government” and met with a High-Level Delegation from the African Union.

The total population of birds in North America has decreased by 2.9 billion (29%) in just 50 years. To explain the direct evidence of impact from global warming, Professor Mark W. Harris provides examples from personal observations as a citizen scientist.

In the midst of the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, Andrés Bello Catholic University works to strengthen bridges with socially disadvantaged communities and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals through its Social Park initiative.

Following massive rallies around the world for climate action, young people highlight plans to mobilize and accelerate action.

Are you using, or planning to use the offiical UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) logo, including the colour wheel and 17 icons in your communications materials? Check out the revised SDG branding and guidelines!

Partnerships with civil society and youth are essential to achieving the goals of key UN-backed international agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement on climate change, María Fernanda Espinosa, the President of the United Nations General Assembly, told delegates at the UN Civil Society Conference on Wednesday.

The Special Edition of the Goal of the Month focuses on the major events that will take place during the UN General Assembly high-level week (21 to 27 September), highlighting themes such as climate action, universal health coverage, sustainable development, financing for development and Small Island Developing States.

From January to August 2019, Handong Global University, a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and UNESCO UNITWIN host institution, has hosted 12 entrepreneurship training programmes across 8 different African countries in an effort to train future global leaders and entrepreneurs.

Stepping Up: Refugee Education in Crisis tells the stories of some of the world’s 7.1 million refugee children of school age under UNHCR’s mandate. In addition, it looks at the educational aspirations of refugee youth eager to continue learning after secondary education, and highlights the need for strong partnerships in order to break down the barriers to education for millions of refugee children.

UN Academic Impact ASPIRE Korea conducted 28 activities in 2019 in support of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The Good Will Session and the World Water Day campaign are two recent examples of their activities organized in collaboration with other ASPIRE chapters.

Professor Suzana Brown from SUNY Korea is leading a research project addressing the need for affordable assistive devices with an acceptable level of efficacy in design.

University of Pretoria conducted a study exploring the extent to which breastfeeding is a shared responsibility between parents in Malawi. Their findings call on leaders to support both parents in playing an active role in children’s lives.

In August, we look at Sustainable Development Goal 13 – Climate Action – and the urgent need for unprecedented transitions in all aspects of society to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and minimize future global warming.