On Tuesday September 22, VUB will be kicking off the new academic year. A special academic opening for what probably will be an exceptional academic year. Not at one location, but six. Corona-safe, of course. Each location represents a P: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership and Poincaré. The first five Ps are inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. The sixth P is of course our very own.
With its new tagline ‘The world needs you’, VUB appeals to the commitment in each one of us, each of our students, researchers, lecturers, administrative staff, alumni and partners to make this world a better, more inclusive, just, sustainable, peaceful, humanistic place. With this call VUB profiles itself as an engaged urban university, joining the worldwide movement in Higher Education to be more explicitly committed towards societal responsibility and impact.
Last Wednesday UNICA hosted a webinar on SDGs Strategies of Universities and THE Impact Rankings. Keynote speakers explained why the latest results of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings could be an opportunity for universities to evaluate their performance and improve their strategies in relationship to SDGs. All slide decks were made available at the UNICA website:
- Times Higher Education Impact Rankings by Duncan Ross (Chief Data Officer, Times Higher Education)
- The crucial role of youth organisations in the achievement of the SDGs by Sebastian Berger (Vice President of the European Students’ Union)
- Understanding the social impact of universities by Jonathan Grant (Former Vice President & Vice Principal (Service), King’s College London)
As UNIVER.CITY’zens we pr/loudly sheer these evolutions and ambitions.
We are very much looking forward to the academic opening, hoping to see all of you!
For those who can’t join in real-live, everything will be streamed on BRUZZ TV and via the Facebook event page.
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