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United Nations Academic Impact and the Role of Universities in Addressing Global Challenges

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UNAI UCD Event Poster

Oceans | Climate | Food Systems | Biodiversity

11 May 2021
10:00 - 11:30 a.m., EDT

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

To mark UCD joining United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), UCD Earth Institute is hosting this discussion of the role of universities 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.

For more information and to register, click here.

This event is organized by the University College Dublin Earth Institute.

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Civil Society Briefing on Building a Fairer, Healthier World: A Future with Health Equity for All

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World Health Day 2021

Building a Fairer, Healthier World

A Future with Health Equity for All

COVID-19 has hit all countries hard, but its impact has been harshest on those communities which were already vulnerable, who are more exposed to the disease, less likely to have access to quality health care services and more likely to experience adverse consequences as a result of measures implemented to contain the pandemic. This Civil Society Briefing will examine access to the vaccine globally, the mental health toll on health care workers and highlight the urgent need to invest in health workers for shared dividends in health, jobs, economic opportunity, and equity.

This briefing is co-organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, American Medical Women's Association, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and Centre for Public Health.         

 14 April 2021

9:30 - 11 a.m., EDT

For more information including speaker biographies, click here.
To Register: bit.ly/healthbriefing21

Youth4Climate 2021

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Space as a tool to foster climate mitigation and adaptation

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, in collaboration with the Space Generation Advisory Council, is launching the 2021 edition of the Space4Youth Competition!

Are you passionate about space and climate?

Climate change is the defining issue of our time. Young people play a key role. UNOOSA and SGAC want to give a voice to and promote youth's ideas on how space can foster climate adaptation and mitigation.

Interested? Apply and become the next Space4Youth Competition Winner!

How to participate?

Submit an essay on " Space as a tool to foster climate mitigation and adaptation". We want to hear from you how space can be used to tackle climate challenges underlining concrete, realistic and original examples of how space science, technology and its applications can foster actions and commitments for mitigation and adaptation policies at local, national, regional and/or international levels.

To apply, please read the guidelines and rules in the call for essays. Submissions must be received by 26 April 2021, 23:59 GMT.

The Competition is open to all students and young professionals from any Member States of the United Nations.

All4Climate - Italy 2021

In view of the 26th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), which will be held in Glasgow in November 2021, Italy will host in Milan from September 28th to October 2nd, the preparatory ministerial meeting (PreCOP) and "Youth4Climate2021: Driving Ambition", the international climate event dedicated to young people.

The competition Youth4Climate2021 - Space as a tool to foster climate adaptation and mitigation is developed under the program  All4Climate - Italy 2021, the official calendar of events that will take place during the year with the aim of promoting 2021 as the year of the Climate Ambition.

Prize

Three winners will have access to incredible prizes! Check out the experience of 2019 Competition winners and information about 2020 winners. Listen what they say about the Competition here!

  • The U.S. is pleased to support this year's Space4Youth competition by providing winners with a trip to the United States to meet with representatives of the U.S. space sector and attend Adult Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama*
  • The UK Space Agency is pleased to organize an event with UK and US experts who will provide further feedback to the winners and, if feasible, support them in developing further their examples/ideas of space technologies for climate adaptation and mitigation.
  • Winners' essays will be uploaded on the "Space for Youth" webpage of UNOOSA.
  • Winner(s) may be invited to participate to other events.

Do not miss this opportunity!

* Confirmation and satisfaction of U.S. visa approval will be required. Given COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the trip dates are not confirmed yet. Expenses will be covered by the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna.