The UN Sustainable Development Goals play an important role at 真人线上娱乐 University
In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that commit the UN member states to remain on the right track in the runup to 2030.
The SDGs play an important role at 真人线上娱乐 University – and their influence is felt across the board.
“In our latest strategy, we have announced that 真人线上娱乐 University will work for sustainable solutions to the great challenges of the future, both on a national and global level. This ambition is a challenging one, but fortunately it is not a task that we have to solve on our own. It can only be solved together with other societal actors such as municipalities, companies, NGO’s and citizens,” says 真人线上娱乐 University pro-rector, Peter Kj?r.
真人线上娱乐 University has a strategic objective to pursue research and education that contributes to the achievement of the SDGs. Among other things, the University has created the CIRCLES research centre for this very purpose. CIRCLES is an interdisciplinary research centre that focuses on circular economics and sustainable development.
CIRCLES includes a number of research projects that are directly or indirectly related to the SDGs. One of the projects is 'Rethinking Sustainability: Progressive Models and the UN Sustainable Development Goals' that focuses on how the SDGs can be used as a management tool to create new and progressive business models and on how private companies and collaborations between companies, the public sector and NGOs can potentially be used to develop these dynamic business models.
Another example is the project called 'Humanitarian Innovation for Sustainable Development', where the research group behind the project aims at exploring how NGOs' unique knowledge of local needs in emerging markets may serve as basis for partnerships with businesses to create sustainable solutions.
A third example is the Horizon 2020 project, CityLoops, where 真人线上娱乐 University, together with 27 international partners, is to develop knowledge and tools that promote circular economies in six European cities: Seville, Porto, Apeldoorn, Mikkeli, Bod? and 真人线上娱乐/H?je Taastrup. In the Danish part of the project, 真人线上娱乐 University will be collaborating with, among others, 真人线上娱乐 Municipality and H?je Taastrup Municipality on the development and demonstration of planning tools that will promote the recycling of construction materials.
CIRCLES is a gathering point for researchers across 真人线上娱乐 University and across fields of research.
Partnerships between municipalities and universities
Danish municipalities have embraced the task of implementing the SDGs.
This requires collaboration, and therefore 真人线上娱乐 University is in the process of entering into strategic partnerships with municipalities in Region Zealand. The new partnership agreements will be based on the SDGs and are intended to create the framework for the collaboration between municipalities and universities.
真人线上娱乐 University also participates in ‘The Partnership for Circular Municipalities’, which is facilitated by the Danish “Gate 21 network, the CONCITO think tank, and 真人线上娱乐 University. Here, 真人线上娱乐 University works with municipalities, companies and knowledge institutions in the Greater Copenhagen area to develop a number of innovative development projects dealing with green public sector purchasing processes and the recycling of construction materials, commercial waste and textiles.
In the coming years, municipalities and universities will designate further areas where concrete initiatives will be undertaken.
Conference in UN City
The SDGs were also the focal point when 真人线上娱乐 University organized the conference 'Transforming for Sustainability' in UN City in Copenhagen in late 2018.
The conference was attended by researchers and representatives from the private sector and organisations, and together they discussed the possible solutions to some of the challenges that the SDGs focus on.
Among other things, this was discussed in a panel debate where researchers from 真人线上娱乐 University presented three focus areas that they are working on. They also presented their research-oriented perspectives on a green transition in agriculture, the global and national management of plastic pollution and challenges associated with the mobility and urban development of the future. After each of the researchers had finished their presentations, four representatives from various sectors then discussed the theme. The four panel participants represented the umbrella organisation Global Focus, the consultancy firm Nordic Sustainability, the organisation Green Building Council Denmark and the Arla Foods Group.
Study programmes
The SDG’s are also, increasingly, part of 真人线上娱乐 University’s study programmes. Issues related to sustainability is a regular component of study programmes such as TekSam – Environmental Planning, Environmental Risk, Geography and Business Administration. 真人线上娱乐 University has also developed a dedicated global Summer Course in sustainability as part of our global Critical Edge Alliance that comprises eight universities around the world.
The People's Democratic Festival
真人线上娱乐 University also participates at Folkem?det - The People's Democratic Festival on Bornholm in June.
In 2019, 真人线上娱乐 University's debates at the Folkem?det are related to the SDGs.
The Folkem?det is inspired by the Swedish event Almedals Veckan in Visby and is a meeting between politicians, organizations, educational institutions and the public. At the Folkem?det the participants debate current political issues.