- Luis
- March 7, 2022
- 10:03 am
- No Comments
The Sustainability Center of the University of Lima organized a conference with teachers to encourage the incorporation of SDG
Florencia Librizzi, co-president of the Higher Education for Sustainability Initiative (HESI) and advisor to the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, was the main speaker in a talk addressed to professors from the University of Lima, which focused on in global practices and experiences that promote the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda into university education. The event, held on October 21, was organized by our Sustainability Center (RespondeUL), within the framework of the second annual meeting of the Ulima ODS Network.
The exhibition focused on higher education and its contribution to the achievement of the SDGs. The guest pointed out that the pandemic has generated setbacks in the process of achieving the SDGs and that we live in a world threatened by growing inequities, loss of biodiversity and global warming, and in which we are still a long way from achieve gender equality and a significant number of young people are not being employed or educated. However, she added that there are also many opportunities for job creation and development of education and markets in areas such as energy, agriculture, food, health and cities.
Librizzi added that sustainability requires a change from the inside out and that we cannot expect the teachings of the past to prepare our students for the challenges of the present, so it is worth asking: what are we investigating, for what purpose and values? And what kind of collaborations and alliances are we achieving?
Likewise, the expert highlighted the relevance of education for sustainable development (ESD), which is alluded to by goal 7 of SDG 4. This point seeks to ensure that, by the year 2030, all students acquire the knowledge theoretical and practical skills necessary to promote sustainable development, including sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, fostering a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, valuing cultural diversity, among other items.
In addition, the presenter mentioned various examples that promote the implementation of the SDGs, among which are the publications of the University of Winchester (United Kingdom) and the University of Reykjavík (Iceland) on the development of responsible leadership or the adoption of the principles of an education in responsible management, or the initiatives of SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (India), an institution recognized for its achievements in social impact.
At another point, Librizzi underlined the importance of instilling values and sensitivities that help achieve the SDGs in business students, and of forging alliances between academia, the private sector and NGOs to achieve a greater impact of the SDGs.
Alfredo Estrada, director of our Sustainability Center (RespondeUL), also took part in the talk, who elaborated on the impacts on society that the University of Lima seeks to generate, both externally (food environments, sustainable mobility, community of people with disabilities, among other items) and on the internal front (reduction of the use of plastic and paper, mainstreaming of the SDGs in academic and professional training and other actions).
