News

Deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose major challenges to sustainable development and have affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the fight against poverty. Efforts are being made to manage forests and combat desertification. This week we are featuring in our #SDGsinAcademia series Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Check out the targets of this Goal and what UNAI member institutions are doing about it!

Amrita University (India), a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), is leading a project co-funded by the Indian Government to save lives in mountainous regions by installing state-of-the-art systems that give advance warnings of landslides so that people can be safely evacuated before disaster strikes.

Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation. This week we are featuring in our #SDGsinAcademia series Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Check out the targets of this Goal and what UNAI member institutions are doing about it!

This 12 August the critical relevance of youth and its role in sustainable development will be brought forward again within the framework of the International Youth Day

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, over 100 UN volunteers in New York commemorated the day through various community service programs around the city. One such volunteer activity took place in Harlem, a neighborhood Nelson Mandela visited a number of times, where UN volunteers partnered with the New York City Mayor’s Office and Harlem Grown, an organization that provides healthy, affordable food alternatives to the Harlem area.

Seton Hall University (United States), a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) though its Center for UN and Global Governance Studies, invites every year high school and college students to propose innovative solutions that will bring the world closer to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

UN Women, UNHCR, UNICEF, the Permanent Mission of Tunisia and the Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights co-hosted a side event during the 2018 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development on advancing gender equality at the national level.

Menstrual Health Management (MHM) is an integral part of every girl’s life, but the fact remains that many girls lack access to proper resources to manage their menstrual health in safe, hygienic ways. For many girls, menstrual hygiene leads them to be ostracized by their communities, develop health issues, and even interferes with their education.

The development comes after the Governments of France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain and Portugal ended a disembarkation stand-off involving the migrants - who had set out from the Libya coast - by agreeing to take them in and process any asylum claims.

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. This week we are featuring in our #SDGsinAcademia series Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Check out the targets of this Goal and what UNAI member institutions are doing about it!

23 July 2018 - Sustainability is a clear goal without subjective disagreements if conceptualized as the art of encouraging more sustainable options per every commodity category. Yet, all materials and technologies we require for sustainability have been already invented. They simply have to be applied more consciously.

“He stands today as a beacon for universal values -- peace, forgiveness, humility, integrity, passion, respect and service,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Madiba showed us that these are not just words or vague ideals, but concrete actions that we can all take.”

Sustainable consumption and production is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all. This week we are featuring in our #SDGsinAcademia series Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Check out the targets of this Goal and what UNAI member institutions are doing about it!

The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) partner Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) co-hosted a side event held on 16 July 2018 at United Nations Headquarters in New York on the margins of the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)

The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) participated in the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative Global Event held on 11 July 2018 at United Nations Headquarters in New York on the margins of the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

The challenges cities face can be overcome in ways that allow them to continue to thrive and grow, while improving resource use and reducing pollution and poverty. The future we want includes cities of opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more. This week we are featuring in our #SDGsinAcademia series Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Check out the targets of this Goal and what UNAI member institutions are doing about it!

The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) acknowledges the meaningful impact on sustainable development of the student-driven initiatives around the world. This article highlights the work done by the organization Prosthetics for Change.

Inequality still persists and large disparities remain in access to health and education services and other assets. To reduce inequality, policies should be universal in principle paying attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized populations. This week we are featuring in our #SDGsinAcademia series Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries. Check out the targets of this Goal and what UNAI member institutions are doing about it!

In February of 2017, the United Nations Academic Impact and United Nations Alliance of Civilization partnered with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in a Prevention Forum that discussed strategies that could be implemented in Education in order to deter violent extremism. The forum can be found here: https://academicimpact.un.org/content/prevention-forum-participants-disc.... Ditch the Label also participated in the 2017 Forum and has recently released their Annual Bullying Survey for 2018.

The mission of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is to foster the relationship between institutions of higher education and the United Nations in the spirit of sharing a culture of intellectual social responsibility. This relationship has become even more crucial in an era of great challenges when innovative approaches and solutions are needed more than ever. It is in that framework that UNAI launched in May its #SDGsinAcademia project.