The SDG4U project – Engaging SDGs for Transformative Education and Enhanced Sustainability in Universities – kicked off in February 2023 with the main objective of stimulating innovative learning and teaching practices embedding SDGs into transformative education, and promoting sustainability practices in universities.
The consortium, consisting of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (as the Coordinator),Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, The American College of Greece Research Center, the University of Murcia, the University of College Cork and UNIMED, worked steadily during these months to achieve goals and strengthen cooperation between the partner universities for long-term sustainability.
Among the most relevant results of the SDG4U project is the SDG4U Mapping Tool.
What is the Mapping Tool?
A platform designed to map and track how university courses contribute to reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how they contribute to social, environmental and economic sustainability. The Mapping tool is a self-reflection instrument for universities, and provides to professors and students inspiration about how to strengthen SDGs adoption.
The SDG4U Mapping Tool aims to inspire sustainable learning, one module at a time.
It is designed to help streamline course offerings mapping the connection of the Learning Outcomes to SDGs, campus operations, research planning, and resource management.
Who can use the Mapping Tool?
The target group of the Mapping Tool includes university students (both undergraduate and postgraduate), university faculty and staff (including educators, administrators, and academic support staff), higher education institutions integrating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into curricula and operations, and lifelong learners (professionals and individuals engaged in continuous education related to SDGs).
All can benefit from the use of the platform, each for a different purpose.
Benefits of the Mapping Tool
- For students: informed course-selection, increased awareness on how to integrate SDG values in their daily routine, feedback mechanisms on the impact of courses, improved planning and time-saving.
- For teachers and educators: enhanced collaboration, resource sharing, constructive evaluation, visibility and resource management
- For staff: best practice access to support strategic planning, cost-effective evaluation, data access, improved communication.
The tool indeed serves an educational function, encouraging professors to examine their material for SDG relevance and identify pertinent pedagogical content. As students interact with the tool, they will be able to reflect on how their courses align with SDGs, and how the university is engaging and operating according to sustainability principles. University administration staff will use the tool to record sustainability practices and operations. More importantly, they all will use it to discover good practices under each SDG that other institutions are implementing and draw inspiration to develop new initiatives.
Want to be involved?
If you are interested in knowing more about the functioning of the Mapping Tool, you can find the tool and instructions about how to use it HERE. We encourage all universities, educators, researchers and students to access the SDG4U Mapping Tool, dig into the already mapped course, add your own, reflect on your sustainability practices, and more!
If you want to know more about the project, you can read the 1st SDG4U Newsletter and access other resources at this link. Follow us on the project channels (Facebook, X, Instagram) to stay updated!
