Educating Students on the Global Goals: Four Universities Take on the Challenge

Abstract

The importance of knowledge regarding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is universally recognized, but less commonly actualized in health professional curricula. This chapter examines how SDG awareness has been embedded into curricula and extra-curricula activity in four different University settings: The University of Melbourne (Australia); Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico); Lund University (Sweden); and the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). It is informed by the work of academics representing single health disciplines from the four universities. All academics are actively involved with the Universitas 21 Health Science Group (U21HSG) SDG strategic group. The chapter will outline shared and unique projects that are directed at increasing students awareness for targeted action to achieve the global goals.

With a crowded curriculum, lack of SDG expertise and a belief that health professional learning should focus on a single goal (Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), there are significant challenges to growing SDG relevant knowledge and skills within existing programs. We provide examples of how these challenges were met, such as through the development of SDG learning outcomes to fit within a physiotherapy curriculum renewal and the running and management of service learning refugee clinics by medical students. We will briefly examine our key learning and make recommendations on providing SDG relevant learning opportunities for students. The chapter will provoke and challenge the reader to consider how they are addressing the sustainability goals and how they can overcome perceived barriers to educating students for a sustainable world.

Citation

Remedios, L., Lees, J., Cracknell, C., Burns, V., Perez-Jimenez, M., Banegas-Lagos, A., Brokop, S. and Webb, G. (2020), "Educating Students on the Global Goals: Four Universities Take on the Challenge", Sengupta, E., Blessinger, P. and Yamin, T.S. (Ed.) University Partnerships for Sustainable Development (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 20), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 101-118. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2055-364120200000020014