Fostering Inclusion of Visually Impaired University Students: A Digital Audio Library
Although the basic needs of those studying at the university are primarily similar, students with disabilities usually require additional and special attention from the institutions of higher education in which they study. And this is because the plans, programs, equipment, and accessibility of universities are typically more suitable for students who do not have disabilities. Thus, adaptation of the necessary physical and academic environment is vital to improve the educational experience of disabled students in general.
Pakistani University Innovates: Applying Modern Technologies to Agriculture
According to an??published in April 2023 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO, “the global agriculture value added increased steadily by 2.8 percent each year on average, from USD 2.9 trillion in 2012 to USD 3.7 trillion in 2021; it kept increasing despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.” In developing countries like Pakistan, the agricultural sector is indispensable to economic growth, food security, employment generation, and poverty reduction.
Egyptian University Improves Youth's Awareness of Climate Change
Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders, and it is a critical issue that, without a doubt, requires international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels. To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the??reached a breakthrough on 12 December 2015: the historic?.
It includes commitments to reduce emissions and focuses on adaptation to the impacts of climate change while calling for strengthening obligations. In addition, the Agreement provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing ones in their climate mitigation efforts while creating a robust framework for transparent monitoring and reporting of countries’ climate goals.
Protecting Older Adults: University Calls for Heat Health Education
“The impacts of weather and climate are most clearly felt during extreme events such as heavy rain and snow, droughts, heatwaves, cold spells, and storms, including tropical storms and cyclones. These meteorological and climatological extremes, individually, in combination and in conjunction with other factors, can lead to other events (…) Together, these have a wide range of impacts on human and natural systems,” warned the??which was published in April 2023 by the World Meteorological Organization.
Strategies Grounded In Scientific Research: Restoring Marine Ecosystem
Covering more than 70% of the planet, the oceans are arguably Earth’s most powerful resource. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, close to six hundred thousand kilometers of coastline edge them, and almost one-third of the world’s population—2.4 billion people—live within 160 kilometers of their shores. On that note, ocean degradation is one of humanity’s most compelling challenges, also addressed in the?.
Experts Discuss Role of Academia and Partnerships on Water Action
On Thursday, 23 March 2023, the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) co-hosted at UN Headquarters in New York the event ‘Our water world: on the frontlines of water access and governance,’ aimed at addressing key areas through ongoing research projects, presenting policymakers with scientific knowledge to achieve .
The highlighted frontlines were coastal and riverine communities, rivers and delta systems, small island developing states, and clean and accessible water as common good or commodity. In addition, the event raised a discussion on the vital relevance of academia in achieving Goal 6 and the .
Taking Student Action: Promoting Gender Equality on Campus and Beyond
Since 2018, the?United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)?and the??have partnered on the?, designed to convene, challenge and celebrate student leadership advancing United Nations goals and principles. The Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long leadership development program to help students curate and implement community-level initiatives to promote sustainability and public service.
Brazilian 'Girls in Computer Science': Students Mentoring Students
The state of Paraíba is located in the Northeast of Brazil, a region where investments in science and technology are scarce, and the infrastructure in education is somehow precarious. Among the five regions of the country, the Northeast has the lowest Human Development Index (HDI): 0.608. Thus, regional inequalities regarding development are enormous. These inequalities, however, are even more significant when considering gender.
In a predominantly male universe, female undergraduate students at the , a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) initiative in Brazil, decided to form the “Girls in Computer Science” group, uniting around two areas of action that actively promote the insertion of women in science and technology, aiming at reducing gender inequalities while generating decent jobs, and fighting poverty.
Turkish Universities React to Recent Earthquakes
In the early morning of 6 February 2023, two earthquakes of magnitudes 7.8 and 7.6 occurred in southern Türkiye. According to a??issued on 19 February by the?, citing official data, the seismic events had a significant impact, including the collapse or heavy damage of 345,000 individual units in 90,609 buildings, as well as the death of over 40,000 people. At the same time, more than 108,000 were injured, and 430,000 had to be relocated.
University Actions for Protecting and Preserving the Iraqi Heritage
Heritage and high-profile historical sites worldwide are considered essential values of human civilization. Safeguarding and preserving heritage, in all its manifestations, is not anymore only about bridging the present with the legacies of the past. It is also about building a sustainable and peaceful future for the next generations. Actually,??includes a call to “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.”
Global Lens on Gender Equality in Universities: Reviewing their Performance
Gender equality has come a long way in the past few years and decades. There are more women with access to education at the tertiary level, more women in senior leadership positions, and women’s rights have developed significantly. But much more is still to be achieved since women continue to face violence and discrimination. On average, women earn lower salaries and have lower levels of access to education compared to men.
In this context, institutions of higher education can be critical actors for change. They can make certain that their female students have equal chances regarding applications, admissions, and completion rates. They can teach curricula that promote gender equality and gender equity, as well as equal representation. Through their research, they can expose inequalities, such as how women are discriminated against, and ensure that datasets include women's perspectives.
Taking Law to Society: University in India Goes Forward
Within?, a target calls explicitly for protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. A key element for this is the creation of awareness concerning legislation tied to adequate protection. Indeed, a??of the United Nations Human Rights Council considered human rights education and training as “essential to the effective realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
UK University Develops New Sources of Emission-Free Energy
The fifth recommendation -Phasing Out of Fossil Fuels and Scaling Up Renewable Energy- within the report launched in November 2022 by the High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities reads: “Instead of slowing down the decarbonization of the global economy, now is the time to accelerate the energy transition to a renewable energy future.” And universities are stepping in for that.
Financing and Funding the SDGs: Challenges vs. Solutions
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is producing a series of articles related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from various angles. In this first article, we aim for more people to get a deeper insight into the financing?and funding for sustainable development, mainly what is being done at the multilateral level, especially in the context of the United Nations system.
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In a complex context, more actors
University Team Creates ‘Green’ Concrete for Sustainable Construction
About 35% of landfill waste is generated by the construction industry, with millions of tons of debris and rubble disposed of each year around the globe. Similarly, around one billion automobile tires go to waste every year. Most of such tires end up in landfills causing a wide range of issues. On that note, an??published by the United Nations Environment Programme explains that “when significant quantities of municipal or industrial solid waste are dumped or burned in the open, the adverse impacts on air, surface and groundwater, soil and the coastal and marine environment, and thus indirectly on public health, can be severe.”