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IAU PARTNERS IN HESD

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To enhance international cooperation in HESD, IAU cooperates with various key partners and sits on several committees.
Click on each partner to learn more about our cooperation:

UNESCO GAP on ESD	Copernicus Alliance	TROP ICSU Project	SULITEST
Green Gown Awards	Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie	Association of Commonwealth Universities	National Union of Students

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WHAT IS THE IAU GLOBAL CLUSTER ON HESD ?

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Launched in 2018, the IAU Cluster on HESD promotes the role of higher education institutions in building more sustainable societies. It is a consortium of IAU Member universities from all parts of the world, working in collaboration to develop existing and new exciting initiatives to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations Member States in the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Cluster encourages a holistic approach to the SDGs, promoting the whole institution approach, where institutions aim to embed sustainable development in their strategic planning, academic and organizational work.

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HOW DOES THE IAU GLOBAL CLUSTER ON HESD WORK?

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Each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals is assigned an institutional team leader, joined by a group of up to 8 Satellite Universities. IAU is responsible for leading the work on SDG 17 - Partnerships for the goals.
IAU and the 16 lead institutions, together with their satellite universities are acting as the voice for higher education at the United Nations’ High Level Political Forum. Through this international cooperation, the project has the most global outreach than any other projects in the field.

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WHO ARE THE INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING IN THE IAU GLOBAL CLUSTER ON HESD?

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Discover the Members of the IAU Global Cluster on HESD ! Click on each SDG to learn more about the lead institution and its initiatives :

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WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE IAU GLOBAL CLUSTER ON HESD?

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If you wish to get involved in the activities of the IAU Global Cluster on Higher Education and Sustainable Development, please contact Isabel Toman, IAU Programme Officer for HESD. Please indicate your institution’s name, your contact details and do not hesitate to provide information on the existing and/or future initiatives towards sustainable development at your institution!

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IAU developed a dedicated portal on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development: www.iau-hesd.net

This global portal presents IAU’s strategy to support sustainable development in higher education, reports on all IAU activities in the the field, provides useful resources about sustainable development in higher education and maps more than 800 inspiring initiatives implemented by higher education institutions and organizations to reach the SDGs.|

The Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) global portal is a tool developed by the International Association of Universities; it provides access to actions and initiatives developed around the world to promote sustainability. It showcases best practises of universities and higher education institutions worldwide. Actions include student initiatives, Living Labs, Green Campuses, faculties engaged in sustainable development, and leadership initiatives.

The portal is searchable by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), type of initiative, and area of work. It currently includes 800+ HEIs in over 100 countries and more than 800 actions worldwide.

If you wish to add your higher education institution, action, or news to the portal, please contact Isabel Toman.

>> WWW.IAU-HESD.NET

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is the yearly conference of the United Nations where governments, UN Agencies and civil society come together to discuss the achievements that have been made towards Agenda 2030. This year, the HLPF 2020 was held virtually and was dedicated to “ Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development ”.

As the most global university association contributing to Sustainable Development and having the Consultative Status (the highest status granted by the United Nations to non-governmental organizations) with the Economic and Social Council, IAU took an active part in the debates again this year and co-organized a series of virtual events, together with partners and Members.

Thank you to all who joined the events and engaged in the conversation about how Higher Education is key for achieving the SDGs !

 IAU AT THE HLPF 2020 IN BRIEF:
Click on the links below to learn more about each event!

 IAU Report on IAU Global Cluster on HESD (2019-2020)

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PAST EVENTS

>> 7 July 2020 | 14:00 - 15:30 EDT (20:00 - 21:30 CEST): ‘Developing transformational partnerships to catalyze SDGs implementation’
A workshop co-organized by UNODC. IAU Secretary General, Dr Hilligje van’t Land, was part of the panel and shared her experience on multi-stakeholder partnerships with higher education.

WATCH THE REPLAY!

>> 8 July 2020 | 8 - 10 a.m. EDT (14:00 - 16:00 CEST): HESI (Higher Education Sustainability Initiative) Virtual event.
IAU is part of the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative and co-organized this event. IAU Secretary General, Dr Hilligje van’t Land, moderated the main panel discussion with the participation of Stefania Giannini, UNESCO, and representatives from Academia and UN bodies.

WATCH THE REPLAY!

>> 8 July 2020 | 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. EDT (16:15 - 17:15 CEST): International Green Gown Awards (IGGA) Virtual Ceremony.
IAU is partner of the IGGA. IAU sat on the judging panel, and IAU Secretary General, Dr Hilligje van’t Land, presented the winner for ‘Sustainability Institution of the year’ at the ceremony.

WATCH THE REPLAY ON YouTube!

>> 9-10 July 2020 | over 100 universities from about 65 countries gathered to explore how academia as a sector can support the Decade of Action on the SDGs, particularly in the new era of COVID-19. Hilligje van’t Land, IAU Secretary General and Joanna Newman (ACU) were part of the discussion panel on 9 July.
Learn more about this meeting here.

>> 13 July 2020 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. EDT (15 - 16:30 CEST): ‘Teaching, Learning and Integrating the SDGs at universities and beyond - Linking to the Decade of Action’
IAU co-organized this workshop with ACU/AUF, ICAE and the SDG Academy. IAU partners and representatives from IAU Members were on the panel. The discussion was moderated by the session partners, including IAU Secretary General.
Read the programme here

WATCH THE REPLAY ON YouTube!

>> 14 July 2020 | 8 – 8:50 a.m. EDT (14 - 14:50 CEST): SDG Acceleration Actions Portal, Presentation of the new website to register SDG-related actions by UN DESA/USG.
Organized by UN DESA , this event aimed to showcase and galvanize ambitious new SDG Acceleration Actions by governments and other actors to contribute to the Decade of Action and Delivery in the context of post COVID-19 realities.

WATCH THE REPLAY!

>> 15 July 2020 | 8 - 10 a.m. EDT (14 - 16:00 CEST): HESI Event #2: So what? How will we Redesign the Future of Further and higher Education
This HESI Roundtable built on the discussions of the HESI Annual Event at the HLPF reflecting on how the Higher Education can come together to redesign the future of further and higher education.

WATCH THE REPLAY ON YouTube!

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HLPF 2020 HERE AND ACCESS THE FULL PROGRAMME HERE.

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The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is the yearly conference of the United Nations where governments, UN Agencies and civil society come together to discuss the achievements that have been made towards Agenda 2030. This year, the HLPF 2019 was dedicated to “ Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality ”.
As the most global university association contributing to Sustainable Development and having the Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council, IAU took an active part in the debates and organized a series of events, together with a delegation of IAU Member Universities.

Learn about IAU’s contribution to the HLPF and click on the events to read more about each session !

The IAU Members delegation:

 Open University of Catalonia
 University of Bologna (Italy)
 Gothenburg University (Sweden)
 University of Tsukuba (Japan)
 Siam University (Thailand)
 University of the West Indies
 University of Bergen (Norway)
 University of Costa Rica (Costa Rica)
 Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (Mexico)
 Kedge Business School (France)

WHEN?	WHAT?	WHO?	WHERE?
July 10, 2019 10am – 1pm	Workshop: Inspire. Change. Together. Innovative approaches and partnerships to strengthen the role of educators & academia to implement the SDGs >> More information here THIS SESSION WILL BE LIVESTREAMED! Click here to see watch the session live	IAU WORKSHOP Co-organized with   Association of Commonwealth Universites (ACU)   Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)   United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime / Education for Justice initiative   International Council for Adult Education (ICAE)   University of Rey Juan Carlos   University Carlos III de Madrid   University of Tsukuba, Japan   University of the West Indies   University of Bergen, Norway   Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain	Conference Room 5, UN Headquarters
July 10, 2019 3pm – 6pm	HESI Special Event: Green Jobs – Green Minds Higher Education for the Future	IAU PARTNER EVENT organized by HESI   University of Costa Rica   UDUAL   CONARE	Trusteeship Council Chamber, UN HQ
July 10, 2019 6:15pm	International Green Gown Awards Ceremony	IAU PARTNER EVENT   Siam University, Thailand   IAU	Institute of International Education, 12th Floor
July 10, 2019 6:30pm – 8:30 pm	Education for democracy – a cornerstone for sustainable societies: What did we learn from the Global Education Meeting 2018?	SIDE EVENT MODERATED BY IAU organized by the Council of Europe and European commission   Hilligje van’t Land, IAU Secretary General (Moderator)   UNESCO   Council of Europe   European Commission   Country representatives	One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza (Belgian Delegation)
July 11, 2019 9am – 11am	‘Scholarships for access, equity and global development’	IAU PARTNER SIDE-EVENT organized by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)	Institute of International Education
July 11, 2019 6.30pm – 8pm	Mind Matters More Than Money Boosting Cognitive Competences for Sustainable Development through Science and Education	IAU MEMBER SIDE-EVENT organized by the University of the West Indies, Jamaica	Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations
July 12, 2019 1pm – 2:30pm	Research and Innovation 4 Climate Action	IAU MEMBER SIDE-EVENT organized by the University of the West Indies, Jamaica	Room S-1520, UN Headquarters

IAU provides research and monitors trends in order to help higher education institutions worldwide implement HESD.

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RESEARCH & ANALYSES

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>>> Mapping HESD worldwide – IAU HESD Global Portal
The IAU HESD portal is a tool accessible to all, spotlighting IAU Members’ and Partners’ contributions to the sustainable development goals. The aim is to generate synergies and networking around the world in favour of sustainable development. The portal www.iau-hesd.net features more than 700 initiatives and counts some 1000 monthly visitors.

>>> Researching HESD trends

IAU HESD global survey 2019
IAU HESD global survey 2016

In 2016, the IAU launched its first global survey on the role of higher education in fostering sustainable development. The aim was to analyse IAU Members’ approaches to sustainable development. 120 institutions from all continents took part in the survey.
After launching its first survey in 2016, the IAU launched its second global survey on the role of higher education in fostering sustainable development in 2019. Next to analysing IAU Members’ approaches to sustainable development, it focused on the knowledge and implementation of the SDGs and Agenda 2030. The 2019 survey counted 536 valid responses from 428 universities in 101 distinct countries, compared to 120 institutions in the 2016 survey.

>>> Publications
 Higher Education & SDG 13 : Climate Action Through University Teaching, Research and Community Engagement, 2019
 Higher Education Paving the Way to Sustainable Development: A Global perspective, 2017
 The Role of Higher Education in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, 18 experts worldwide shared their views in IAU Horizons, 2014
 The Contribution of Higher Education to Sustainable Development, 26 experts worldwide shared their views in IAU Horizons, 2012

IAU started a Series of Publication, one for each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The first one on SDG 13 (Climate Action) was released in July 2019. The publications contains actions and initiatives from 15 higher education institutions and universities around the world. Currently, IAU is working on a publication for SDG 5 (Gender Equality), which will be released in spring 2020. Please contact Isabel Toman to find out more.

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ADVOCACY

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>>> IAU Policy Statements on HESD

• IAU Iquitos Statement on Education for Sustainable Development (drafted in 2014 and adopted in 2016 at the General Conference) IAU Members commit to build synergies and promote collaboration in favour of sustainable development.

• IAU Kyoto Declaration on Sustainable Development (drafted and adopted in 1993) IAU Members urge all universities worldwide to undertake research and action to achieve sustainable development.

>>> Letter from the President of the United Nations General Assembly (2017)
H.E. Mr. Peter Thomson, Former President of the United Nations General Assembly, reached out to the IAU to call on all leaders of higher education institutions to embrace the sustainable development goals. The Association disseminated the UN letter to all IAU Members and Partners worldwide.

>>> Open Letter to COP21 Ministers and Governments (2015)
On 1 December 2015, a global alliance of higher education sustainability networks, including the IAU, representing more than 3,000 universities and colleges worldwide, jointly issued an Open Letter urging Ministers and Governments to acknowledge and strengthen the research and education role that universities and colleges play in addressing climate change.

>>> Rio+20 People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education (2012)
A partnership of over 30 agencies, organizations and associations, led by Copernicus Alliance and the IAU, developed the Higher Education People’s Sustainability Treaty to influence Rio + 20 dialogues.