On April 16, the UIC Sustainable Development Research Group (SDRG), founded by Globalisation and Development (GAD) Programme’s students and now encompassing members from across the entire college, held its 2022 annual forum on the topic of “Sustainable Development: A New Paradigm for Higher Education”. Hosted by the founder of SDRG, GAD student Mr. Frank Chen Chaofan, the virtual forum convened 5 distinguished guests hailing from both academia and the private sector to share insights drawn from their respective fields of expertise.

The forum kicked off with the contribution of Dr. Edoardo Monaco - Programme Director and Associate Professor of GAD - who provided a thorough overview of the growing relevance of sustainable development in the contemporary world. After defining the concept and explaining the reasons for its urgency  – including demographic expansion, universal pursuit of economic progress amid persisting inequalities and increasing strain on natural resources – Dr. Monaco concluded that “sustainability matters for both public and private sectors, therefore it is essential that forward-looking academic platforms wishing to be relevant in today’s world and be of use to the future leadership of this planet do cover it in their curricula accordingly”. In this regard he pointed out the uniqueness of the GAD Programme, as it thoroughly integrates sustainability in its educational mission at undergraduate level, while many other universities do so very partially, and only from  the postgraduate level onwards.

Dr. Edoardo Monaco

By emphasising the linkage among higher education, health promotion, and sustainable development, Professor Kwok Cho Tang, former technical leader of Health Promotion Unit at the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Professor of GAD, highlighted the importance of education in mobilizing human capital to achieve a healthy and sustainable society. He also stressed the significant role played by international organisations in  addressing issues concerning sustainability through knowledge dissemination, policy development, and resources mobilisation.

Prof. Kwok Cho Tang

“Education is a leverage for higher quality economic development, and the standards of educational systems are rising accordingly,” said Dr. Selcuk Çolakoğlu, Associate Professor of GAD and Director of the Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies. Dr. Çolakoğlu provided his perspective on the interaction among sustainable development, international relations, and global governance, with a particular emphasis on the developing pathways of the Global South.

Dr. Selcuk Çolakoğlu

Ms. Sarah Albert – GAD Programme’s  Industry Advisor and Sustainability Director at NEXTracker, a world-leading corporation active in solar-panel technology - contributed to the forum with a comprehensive analysis on how the need for renewable energy and the continuously evolving ESG standards are boosting private businesses’ demand for talents that understand the dynamics of both globalisation and sustainability. When asked by the audience whether the application of ESG would affect the profitability of corporations, Ms. Albert replied that ESG leads to better risk-adjusted returns in the long run and is becoming mandatory in many countries regions, thus applying ESG actually prevents costly legal consequences and attracts both investors and consumers.

Ms. Sarah Albert illustrates the growing volume of ESG investment

Mr. Zhang Daqian, Head of the Climate Change Working Group at China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF), a prominent, internationally-active NGO based in China working in close partnership with the GAD Programme on sustainability education and leadership, discussed the practice of sustainable development in NGOs. By presenting the efforts and achievements of CBCGDF in the realms of climate action and, in particular, biodiversity conservation, Mr. Zhang called for students to get involved first-hand in the implementation of sustainable development by participating in relevant internships and in multiple initiatives that can concretely impact their very own community.

Presentation by Mr. Zhang Daqian from CBCGDF

Heartfelt thanks go to the students at the Sustainable Development Research Group for promoting the debate over meaningful and timely matters, and to the guest speakers for gracing the forum with their kind presence and insights. It has been an enlightening experience that encourages all the attendees to actively engage in sustainable development and to help achieve a sustainable world of tomorrow. As Dr. Monaco put it in the closing remarks, “there’s a lot to be done, but every journey starts with a step, and there is always hope and changes to be made”. The future is on you, future sustainability leaders!