News

The American College of Greece (ACG), working together with the U.S. Embassy in Athens, the American College of Thessaloniki/ACT and the American Farm School, launched the program “Education Unites: From Camp to Campus” providing higher education scholarships to 87 refugees. Scholarship recipients included 24 women and 63 men, ages 18 to 40, from 14 countries to help pay for their studies at ACG for the 2017 to 2018 academic year.

Join United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and the Hasso Plattner Institute for a discussion on the immense opportunities and challenges presented by our increasingly data-driven society, the value that can be gained from data that is well-prepared and the dangers of data when misapplied. We have access to, and use, more data than ever, but what are the opportunities and challenges presented by such a data-driven society?

Prof. Felix Naumann, chair for information systems at the Hasso Plattner Institute at the University of Potsdam in Germany, will deliver a talk on these issues followed by Q&A with the audience on Monday, 25 March in the ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

On the occasion of the International Year of Indigenous Languages and the International Mother Language Day, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library of the United Nations hosted a panel discussion to spotlight the importance of preserving indigenous languages and integrating them into the education system.

The ASPIRE chapter of East Stroudsburg hosted a free community screening of Black Panther and held a panel discussion to explore the film’s underlying themes, discuss the promotion of inclusivity, dispel stigma, and imagine a more equitable community through the arts.

The Energy Policy and Development Centre (KEPA) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece) actively promotes regional cooperation and knowledge transfer on climate change and green energy issues.

In 2018, Ahfad University for Women’s (AUW) Gender and Reproductive Health and Rights Resource and Advocacy Center (GRACe) conducted activities to promote Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

The United Nations Academic Impact and Millenium Campus Network proudly present the Millennium Fellowship - a semester-long leadership development programme on your campus to take your social impact to the next level. Apply by 30 April!

This week our #SDGsinAcademia series features the American University in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), a member institution of United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), that has been chosen as the SDG Hub for Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Sunetra Gupta, Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford, researches the evolution of infectious diseases and has made important contributions to epidemiology. Listen to UNAI’s interview with Prof. Gupta to learn about her research in infectious diseases, what she views as the greatest threats to human health and her advice for women and girls interested in science.

Dr. Ayanna Howard is a roboticist and chair for Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech University whose research has focused on technology development, artificial intelligence, robotics and engineering. Before entering academia, Dr. Howard worked at NASA where she was the principal investigator for the effort that led to unmanned planetary rovers on Mars. Listen to Dr. Howard's interview to learn how a popular TV show piqued her interest in robotics when she was young, why she thinks artificial intelligence could level the playing field in education and the importance of inclusion of persons with disabilities in STEM fields.

Abeer Seikaly is an architect, artist, designer, and cultural producer. In 2012, Sekaily was awarded the Lexus Design Award for her work, “Weaving a Home", which reexamines the traditional architectural concept of tent shelters by creating a technical, structural fabric that expands to enclose and contracts for mobility while providing the comforts of contemporary life for refugees seeking shelter from disasters carry from their homes. Seikaly talks with us how questions drive her work, the influence of history and invisible mentors in her life, her faith in collaboration to help advance ideas and the importance of empathy in any field.

Hasibun Naher is a professor of mathematics who develops simulations of natural disasters such as earthquakes, storm surges and tsunamis to improve forecasts, warn populations earlier and save lives. Dr. Naher spoke to us about the importance of failure as a part of learning, how her name predicted her career path, using math to save lives and why being a scientist is one of the most exciting jobs in the world.

Ellen Ochoa had a 30-year career at NASA where she served as director of the Johnson Space Center from 2013 to 2018, leading the human space flight enterprise for the nation. She became the first Hispanic woman to go to space aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1993 and has flown in space four times. She is the recipient of many awards including NASA's highest award and three honorary doctorates. In her interview, Dr. Ochoa talks about finding her path to physics and engineering, conducting science experiments in space and the creativity and curiosity needed for STEM careers.

Naoko Yamazaki is an astronaut who has served aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station. In the second interview of our series, Ms. Yamazaki talks about her career path, her role models and her advice to young women and girls who want to pursue STEM careers.

Katharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist and Director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University whose research helps stakeholders from a variety of fields better understand the impacts of climate change on human and environmental systems and provides a scientific foundation for addressing these consequences. Listen to UNAI’s interview with Prof. Hayhoe to hear about climate change’s potential to be a threat multiplier, how her communication around climate change has evolved, and how women, girls and all young people can take climate action and help find solutions.

Kristu Jayanti College (India), a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) that has been chosen as the SDG Hub for Sustainable Development Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere, launched action-oriented programmes on campus and in neighboring villages, focusing on the theme Samruddha Vishwa (No Poverty).

This week our #SDGsinAcademia series features the University of Zanjan (Iran), a member institution of United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), that has been chosen as the SDG Hub for Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.

This week our #SDGsinAcademia series features the University of Manitoba (Canada), a member institution of United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), that has been chosen as the SDG Hub for Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

30 January 2019 – A special event was hosted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) last Thursday, 24 January to spotlight the negative impact of stigma that surrounds drug addiction and the importance of education in the prevention of this growing problem.

The Model UN-New Silk Way Initiative provides master degree students from Al-Farabi Kazakh University with a 10-day academic exchange programme to enhance their understanding of peacebuilding and diplomacy.