Sustainable Development GOals
Introduced in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations as a guide to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people can enjoy peace and prosperity.
The SDGs, which came into effect in January 2016, build upon the previous targets set forth by the Millennial Development Goals (MDGs).
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The new areas that are included in the SDGs address topics such as climate change, peace and justice, and economic inequalities. The ambitious set of targets will be the developmental focus of countries for the next 15 years.
Academe and the SDGs
While progress in the SDGs is dependent on government ownership and establishment of policy and programs, the expansion of the 8 MDGs into a set of SDGs with systemic challenges create a space where academic institutions can step in and thrive.
Academic institutions have the ability to create cross-sectoral partnerships and create cutting edge approaches. Academic institutions are powerful platforms for convening stakeholders. They can reach out to players in all sectors and from all levels of government. As such, these institutions should be centers of excellence in both research and knowledge management. Research to develop metrics, improve evaluation techniques, and streamline monitoring are important tasks which can fall in the academic wheelhouse.
As the Philippines continues its journey for holistic development higher learning institutions can be leaders in the development of the country by acting as major stakeholders and demonstrating their capability to work on the SDG target set.
