Introduction

Most HEIs are committed to teaching, research, and service. While “service” of academic staff members is often realized as mentoring students or serving in administrative roles, the key concept of doing work for the greater good is one that permeates many HEI cultures. Similarly, partnership – between academic institutions, between HEIs and their host communities, with collaborative businesses and NGOs – is a valuable way for an HEI to build on and expand its knowledge-driven agenda. Further, the SDGs offer the opportunity to convene multisectoral and transdisciplinary conversations, and academic institutions have a long history of bringing diverse stakeholders together. In this context, HEIs can help to create bridges between global priorities and local actions.

Opportunities

Serving as a neutral forum (when possible)

HEIs have a wealth of expertise in their academic staff and many universities consider it part of their mandate to act as a neutral forum. Many HEIs will host conferences, workshops, and publicly accessible lectures throughout the year. This offers the opportunity to convene gatherings, insert priorities into existing programming, and connect across disciplines and departments, all with the SDGs as a framework.

That said, while injecting the SDGs into multisectoral and multidisciplinary conversations is a sound starting point, there is a possibility to create a ripple effect with activities and events that are open to the public and to provide opportunities for people to engage in different formats (e.g. video conferencing, recordings; after conference summaries). In addition, structuring events to result in findings that can be shared with relevant stakeholders – including, but not limited to, governments, community partners, and the UN – can lend focus and structure to activities.

Policy connections

Policymakers often look to academic research to help inform decisions and set priorities. If there is an active and formalized effort to connect research to the SDGs, this may help to highlight knowledge that will be useful for policy. This also connects to important themes embedded in the Walking the Talk and the Next Generation Innovation chapters – the more campuses test and model systems, the more the public sector can save time and resources, and the more we can ensure that students are graduating having experienced a culture of sustainability.

Technological innovations can expedite progress

Jeffrey Sachs, Executive Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and faculty member at Columbia University, posits that there are six major societal transformations that are needed to achieve the SDGs, the sixth of which is to transform to a digital society. In his remarks during the 2018 SDG event during the annual conference of the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), he stated, “we are in the middle of a profound revolution of digitization. All of the aspects of governance, privacy, surveillance, and cyber warfare, plus the disruptions to the economy from the movement to a digital production system throughout all sectors of the economy means an enormous transformation. We do not yet have the governance structure for this evolution, or even have the specifics of how it will work.”

While this transformation presents a significant challenge, it also provides an even more significant opportunity. Innovation and entrepreneurship are critical levers for addressing pertinent sustainable development challenges. For example, it is estimated that there will be almost 5 billion mobile phone users worldwide by 2020. By harnessing data, technological innovations, creativity, and collaboration, SDG efforts can more closely align with the local context and more rapidly provide solutions.

HEIs also have an opportunity to utilize technological innovations to better communication and learn from one another. Rapidly evolving video conferencing platforms and near universal connectivity allows HEIs from around the globe to work together on projects.

Figure 3. Opportunities for HEIs to promote the SDGs through service

Hurdles & Solutions

Time and Scope

Hurdle: Research done correctly may not happen at a speed that is ideal for informing action. It takes an average of 17 years for research evidence to be implemented into practice. When working with underserved populations, that number is even higher. Therefore, even if HEIs are producing the most innovative and transformational research, it is taking too long to reach those who will benefit from it.

Solution: Community-based participatory research, dedicated communications, and formal partnerships between researchers and policymakers are a few strategies that HEIs have applied to combat this lag time. Another way to combat this disconnect is by disseminating research in a variety of platforms to reach different audiences. HEIs can use social media platforms to highlight the key research takeaways, write news articles in popular media outlets, and reports with highlights for policymakers – like those done by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) See the IPCC Special Report Summary for Policymakers for an example.

Limited Funding 

Hurdle: Limited funds can restrict the ability of HEIs faculty, staff, and students to connect with communities or partners. HEIs often operate within strict financial constraints and have limited resources for external partnerships and projects. In some contexts, HEIs are sometimes viewed as a source of funding, which may not be realistic.

Solution: Clearly defined expectations are requisite in any partnership. Some HEIs have found it useful to establish a formal agreement to outline roles and responsibilities, which allows for systematic conversations about funding and resources, as well as the consideration of applying for joint funding. Formal agreements also help to build leadership support and relay a heightened level of commitment to the partnership, thereby encouraging increased involvement by HEIs and partners (see The University of British Columbia Principles and Good Practices of Community Engagement for tips).

Below are a series of case studies demonstrating in-action and real-life examples.

University of Cape Town & University of Oxford: Accelerating Achievement for Africa’s Adolescents (Accelerate) Hub

Quick Tips

1. Build on the natural convening strength of HEIs to host multidisciplinary dialogues with the SDGs as a framework.
2. Innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological innovations can expedite progress on the global goals. Explore opportunities to work with government agencies, business, and civil society partners on joint ventures.
3. Implement strategies to translate research into practice to reduce lag time between findings and implementation. These can include disseminating research findings through multiple channels and to different audiences and working with civil society, business, and policy partners throughout the research process.
4. Think global, partner local and global. Consider integrating key themes from the SDGs into collaboration at all scales and into activities with local partners.
5. International alliances offer the potential for shared SDG learning. Find ways to exchange knowledge with peers and learn from one another on this topic.