As International Week (I-Week) at the University of Alberta approaches with a focus on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I think it is an ideal time to reflect on how we are doing, as a university, in working towards these goals.
Formalized by the UN in 2015, the 17 Goals are calls to action: they ask us how we, all over the world, can make a contribution towards our local and global societies in alignment with these guiding principles. The SDGs are everyone’s business — a bold effort for community development from the local to global scale.
When considering the ingenuity and innovation that is often born in a university environment, it is clear to me that there is so much potential here.
In fact, we are already making steps and motions towards these goals, whether or not we pause to take inventory, or officially label them as an SDG. Look to our institutional strategic plan, For the Public Good: we aim to undertake activities and efforts that support a better world for all. As an institution founded on teaching, research, and service, we have a responsibility to educate the community and share this important agenda.
Also important to note is that these 17 goals are not independent. They exist not only on their own, but interconnect to create a unified whole. That means that we, as a university with a wide range of knowledge, research, and action are empowered to connect to these goals in a multitude of interdisciplinary ways.
From the international side, we have projects in global health, accessible education, capacity building, and more — there is a breadth of work taking place across our Faculties that contribute to the SDGs. But we also recognize that the SDGs are not only for the global scale. Localizing the SDGs to make an impact in our own communities is critical.
The SDGs are for everyone. No matter who you are or where you live, there are ways that you can contribute — for example, by working in a community garden (SDG 2 and 11) or volunteering with a literacy program (SDG 4). If you are hoping to make your own impact, there is no better place to start than International Week on February 4–8, where we will explore how we can take action at a local level to make some real global impact.
At the University of Alberta, we have a tremendous amount of work taking place already that contributes to the SDGs. At the same time, as one of the country’s leading research and teaching institutions and a leading international university, it is clear that there are major opportunities to achieve even greater impact. The 17 goals are a part of every person’s life in Canada and globally. We need to educate, raise awareness, and seek our own ways to contribute.
About Cen
Dr. Cen Huang is Vice Provost and Associate Vice President (International) at the U of A, where she spearheads innovation and collaboration with Faculties and partners with regards to international initiatives and activities.