Sustainable Development Goals for Universities Erasmus Project

Project Title

Sustainable Development Goals for Universities

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Civic engagement / responsible citizenship

Project Summary

Many studies predict that more than a third of today’s jobs will be gone within 20 years, while the number of unresolved challenges such as the fight against global warming, the preservation of natural resources, democratic/economic/social crises is increasing. Thus new models for economic growth are expected by 2025. In this context of global challenges, higher education and young people will have to adapt to these new professional realities. These challenges have their best representation in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which 193 states have joined, including the European Union and its member states.

“Sustainable Development Goals for Universities (SDGs4U)” is going to implement a capacity building strategy to help universities to translate the SDGs challenges into local strategies, and to promote new skills for students who are willing to tackle these challenges. We define 3 main steps:
1. Train young people and university staff to identify and develop transversal, civic, entrepreneurial skills required to address the SDGs (with IO1 and IO4)
2. Improve the implementation of the SDGs within the universities as a tool for better adaptation and attractiveness (with IO2)
3. Extend and reinforce the leadership of universities through the implementation of SDGs Labs (with IO3)

To achieve those general results, SDGs4U will provide open educational resources such as:
– SDGs open courses for futures entrepreneurs including a recognition system
– SDGs implementation guidelines for university staff
– SDGs Living Labs implementation kit
– SDGs tool box

Four universities and three NGOs in four countries (France, Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom) will share their experience and know-how to provide these complete and practical open courses and tools at a European level. This common project will reinforce the external leadership and internationalization of universities by showing the commitments of European universities for global challenges, and will promote interuniversity cooperation on SDGs. Cross-border cooperation is the very strength of this project by pooling the knowledge that exists in various EU countries to strengthen the universities and enhance employability for students.

We will first concentrate on the creation of the contents and tools, and will organize in summer 2020 multiplier events to promote our work. Then, we will test the resources created and work with our local target groups to ensure an efficient use of SDGs4U.
About 200 professionals and students will be trained in the 4 different countries. Stakeholders from public institutions, private organizations and civil society will be involved.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 258805 Eur

Project Coordinator

Cap Solidarités & Country: FR

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN
• UNIVERSIDAD DE LA RIOJA
• UNIVERSITY OF WALES TRINITY SAINT DAVID ROYAL CHARTER
• Welsh Centre for International Affairs
• UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LILLE (Fédération Universitaire et Pluridisciplinaire de Lille)
• Time4Society vzw