UNESCO Chair Newsletter December 2023

Welcome to the December edition of our UNESCO Chair newsletter!

With COP28 in full swing, many colleagues are currently engaged on the ground in Dubai and we hope you will create a huge global handprint for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) while you are there! For the first time, a dedicated Greening Education Hub will focus with events and conversations on climate education and ESD from 30 November to 13 December 2023 (Green Zone). Check out the event schedule.

Building on the outcomes from COP28, the conversations from the 42nd UNESCO General Conference, and further emphasizing the importance of ESD as a key enabler of all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global community will then come together for the ESD-NET Global Meeting in Tokyo (Japan) on 18-20 December 2023.

Please check out the variety of events and opportunities for the last month of this year and feel free to share this newsletter with your colleagues. We hope to see many of you before 2023 concludes. In case we will not have a chance for a direct exchange before the end of the year, we wish you all the best for the upcoming holiday season.

Warmly,

Charles Hopkins & Katrin Kohl

UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, York University

P.S. Please make sure to save unescochair@edu.yorku.ca in your contacts to get our monthly update.

Our UNESCO Chair’s associated project, the Youth Climate Report, will be present at COP28 in Dubai from 30 November to 8 December 2023. The following films are scheduled for presentation (all times in Dubai time):

1. The Planetary Heath Film Lab 2023: Belize Edition – six films made by Indigenous youth with a press conference on 1 December at 10:00 am (PC Room 2, Blue Zone), a film screening on 7 December, 3:00 pm (Future Mobility Hub, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) and a joint panel discussion hosted by the Youth Climate Report and EcoSpectrum on 8 December, 11:30 am (SE Room 2, Blue Zone).
2. The Ghana Youth Videography Programme 2023 – eleven films made by Ghanaian Indigenous youth with a press conference on 1 December at 9:00 am (PC Room 2, Blue Zone), a film screening at the Global Youth Coalition Side Event 3 December at 5:15 pm (Entertainment + Culture Pavilion), and a joint panel discussion on 8 December, 11:30 am (SE Room 2, Blue Zone).
3. Turning Tides: Sustainability Measures for Shark Conservation. A trailer for the film will be screened at the press conference on 1 December at 10:00 am (PC Room 2, Blue Zone).
4. A Faithful Commitment to Sustainability. This documentary short takes a faith-based approach to sustainability in a Muslim community in Vaughan, Ontario. The film will premiere at a screening at the Canada Pavilion on 11 December at 9am.

Please reach out to Youth Climate Report Director Mark Terry at ycrtv1@gmail.com if you plan to attend any of the events and wish to meet.

The Great Green Wall Grassroots Alliance in conjunction with the African Union Commission will aims to catalyze systemic change by rallying multi-stakeholder support for the Beyond the Classroom initiative, with the ultimate goal of empowering every learner, regardless of age or background, to confront the climate crisis effectively and
comprehensively. UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins will deliver introductory remarks for the workshop.

Feel free to join in person in the Greening Education Pavilion (Green Zone) on 2 December 2023. A second workshop will be held in the Commonwealth Pavilion (Blue Zone) on 10 December 2023.

On 8 December, the dedicated COP28 Youth & Education Day, a high-level dialogue will bring together representatives of member states, including education, environment, finance, and foreign affairs, alongside youth, civil society, teachers, and international organizations. The discussions will focus on actions and priorities to advance climate change education across all Greening Education Partnership pillars.

The endorsement of The Declaration on the Common Agenda for Education and Climate Change at COP28 will be signed to rally commitment and pledge targeted action to adapt, mitigate, and invest in education.

Parallel sessions will discuss how to reinforce the objectives of the Greening Education Partnership. Members will present their ongoing work and contributions to climate change education and identify tangible climate-resilient solutions.

On 12 December 2023 at 8 am EST/2 pm CET, the 2023 UNESCO-UNFCCC webinar series will close the second season by looking back at COP28 and its key takeaways, achievements, commitments, and ways forward on how to promote climate change education for social transformation including greening schools.

Living in a climate crisis requires a radical re-imagining of education, one that is centred on a vision of well-being for all. ‘Living Schools’ is an innovative model that does just this, by reconnecting people, communities, and nature to become holistic learning environments where students and educators are collaborating on real world solutions to climate change. Join Catherine O’Brien and Patrick Howard as they introduce their concept of ‘Living Schools,’ as well as learn from teachers who are implementing this model in their classrooms and schools. This webinar is offered in partnership with the Accelerating Climate Change Education in Teacher Education program.

Advancing the Reflection and the Action on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence will be at focus for the next UNESCO Chairs Seminar on 5 December 2023. The UNESCO Chairs seminars are part of the series on Transforming Knowledge for Africa’s Future that provides transdisciplinary spaces at the intersection of research and policy for UNESCO Chairs, UNITWIN Networks, and other specialists, to engage intellectually with the themes of the 5 Flagship Programmes of UNESCO’s Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022-2029).

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program Global Skills Opportunity, York University’s Go Global SDGs in Action Student Challenge aims to empower York students and their peers around the world to take action towards the achievement of the SDGs with a global lens. UNESCO Chair team Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl serve as mentors for international student groups in this programme, and delivered introductory workshops.

Learn more about the 2023 Go Global Projects on 6 December 2023 at 9 am EST. Join the conversation and learn about the transformative SDGs action projects of our international student groups. 🌎 Register today!

Tarlac Agricultural University will hold its 3rd International Conference on Agriculture, Biosystems and Technology (IConABT) under the theme AGRICULTURE FORESIGHT: Harnessing Innovative Digital and Smart-Farming Technologies for Sustainable and Resilient Agri-Food, Forest, and Bio-based Systems on 11-12 December 2023. The two-day virtual forum aims to bring together researchers, policymakers, farmers, and other
stakeholders to discuss the latest advances in digital and smart-farming technologies and their potential to transform agri-food systems for the better. The conference will also explore the challenges and opportunities for harnessing these technologies in different parts of the world. The event will spotlight a repertoire of successful case studies and projects, illuminating the transformative power of smart farming technology in enhancing agricultural sustainability and resilience. UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins is invited to deliver an inspirational message on the role of ESD in the frameworks of agriculture, biosystems, and technology. Through real-world examples, attendees gain invaluable insights into the practical applications of innovative techniques and their impact on agricultural landscapes.

Following the launch of the ESD for 2030 Programme in 2021 during the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development in Berlin (Germany), the global community will now come together for the UNESCO ESD-Net Global Meeting in Tokyo (Japan) on 18-20 December 2023 to take stock of our shared progress and to further strengthen ESD within the SDG implementation efforts for 2024/2025. It is hoped to strengthen the quality and relevance of education in the context of transforming education, develop systemic education responses to current global challenges, and to further facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement within the implementation of ESD for 2030. UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins is invited to speak during the higher education session and UNESCO Chair Coordinator Katrin Kohl will join the moderation team for the Europe-North America Regional Session. While in-person participation is upon invitation only, you can still register to join online.

The QS ImpACT Awards is an annual celebration and is set to honour the incredible work of youth throughout 2023. It recognizes and highlights the outstanding contributions of individuals who have served as catalysts for transformative change on a local and global scale through projects, events and initiatives in local communities or institutions. Upload an Impact Report to apply for an award. UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins will serve in the QS ImpACT Award jury.

 There are 8 Award Categories! Winners will:

• Receive the opportunity to bring representation at the United Nations Environment Program through QS ImpACT!
• Be featured in the QS Insights magazine and receive a QS ImpACT badge and title.
• Be highlighted at the virtual awards on 18 January 2024.

The seventh SDG Conference will take place 7–9 February 2024 and address The role of universities in transformative change. Societies need fundamental changes in their structures and values to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable consumption. Universities have a crucial role to play and to focus on their role in supporting societies on their path towards sustainable development. The conference will be hosted as a virtual event. Last year, the conference gathered over 1500 virtual participants from more than 100 countries globally.

Mark your calendars for the next SDG Awareness Week 2024! The University Global Coalition will hold the SDG Action & Awareness Week on 4-8 March 2024. The event invites university students, staff, faculty, and partners around the world to plan and host both virtual, SDG-focused events to be shared with a global calendar and to plan events on your campus during this time showcasing work and encouraging action on the SDGs. 

In collaboration with civil society actors, the United Nations Department of Global Communications will hold the 2024 Civil Society Conference from 9 to 10 May 2024 at the UN Office in Nairobi (Kenya).

The Conference aims to ensure multi-stakeholder participation in the Summit of the Future preparations, providing tangible space for civil society to contribute ideas and recommendations to feed into the negotiations of the Pact for the Future. Additionally, it offers the United Nations and the international community a chance to plan the way forward, advance the SDGs outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and create a future where no one is left behind.

The 17th PASCAL Conference will take place under the theme New Challenges for Higher Education, Cities and Regions: Addressing SDGs in Changing Contexts from 4-6 July 2024. The SDGs have been an important benchmark for the development efforts of policy makers, academics, and practitioners for almost a decade. Yet, many structural changes and major shocks have altered their context since 2015 when they were first decided upon as a plan to be reached by 2030. At the 17th PASCAL Conference, participants will address the need for new knowledge to cope with the global challenges successfully as we quickly move towards 2030.

The call for submission is currently open.

The SDGs-in-the-Classroom Curricular Innovation Hub is a vibrant initiative at York University, integrating the SDGs into diverse learning environments to enhance educational relevance and impact. Complementing this, the Toolkit (available in English and French) is a rich resource, enabling seamless infusion of SDGs into York’s classrooms and reinforcing commitment to positive change locally and globally.

The Transforming Knowledge for Just and Sustainable Futures conference took place in Paris on 3-4 November 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of the launch of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme.

This event provided an opportunity to ‘dare to hope’, to quote former UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor, who launched the UNITWIN Programme in 1992. The conference not only celebrated the network’s many achievements but also – and more importantly – enabled the UNITWIN community to look back to better plan for the future. The 30th anniversary event was attended by some 500 representatives of UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN Networks from 80 countries around the world, National Commissions for UNESCO, and higher education institutions, as well as other partners and experts.

Over the past three decades, the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme has exceeded its initial objectives. Today, it includes almost 1,000 higher education institutions and research centres and has facilitated a kaleidoscope of initiatives, reshaped the higher education landscape, and forged significant intercontinental links.

In October 2023, Karen McGregor from University World News led an in-depth interview with UNESCO Chair Charles Hopkins on his vision for quality education in the 21st century. It was cross-published by the International Islamic University Malaysia.