UN Academic Impact & how universities can address global challenges

A conversation with UN Academic Impact chief, Mr Ramu Damodaran

Panel discussion with Prof Tasman Crowe, Dr Andrew Jackson, Prof Dolores O’Riordan, Prof Emma Teeling and University College Dublin on four major topics: oceans, climate, food systems, and biodiversity.

Higher education institutions have an important role to play in the effort to address urgent global challenges through teaching and research. While action is needed at local level, partnership and collaboration at a global and regional level is also crucial. United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) is an initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realisation of UN goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution. The ten principles of UNAI are 1. Addressing Poverty, 2. Capacity Building in higher education systems, 3. Education for All, 4. Global Citizenship, 5. Access to Higher Education, 6. Human Rights, 7. Intercultural Dialogue, 8. Peace and Conflict Resolution, 9. Sustainability, 10. United Nations Charter

Prof Orla Feely (Vice President for Research, Innovation and Impact, UCD) will open the event and welcome Mr Ramu Damodaran, chief of UN Academic Impact. Prof Patrick Paul Walsh (UCD School of Politics and International Relations) will outline UCD’s progress to align with UN and UNAI principles to date and then introduce Ramu Damodaran who will outline the mission of UNAI, the benefits of membership and how researchers can play an active role in the organisation. This will be followed by a panel discussion with the four UCD academics listed above, who will each speak to their area of expertise: climate, oceans, biodiversity and food systems. These are four important foci for UN dialogues and conferences in the coming year. Panellists will outline their research in the context of the global challenges in this area. Ramu and the panel will discuss science policy interface and the routes within the UN system for researchers and HEI’s to make an impact.