4 July 2019 | Global SDSN News, SDSN Youth, Universities & SDGs

SDG Students Program – Semester 1 2019 Highlights

The SDG Students Program is an initiative of SDSN Youth to engage university students in the Sustainable Development Goals. Through the creation of SDG Student Hubs at participating universities, the program provides students with opportunities to learn about issues relating to sustainable development, empowers them with the skills and pathways to be effective change agents on the SDGs, and creates an enabling environment for innovative ideas to flourish.

The global rollout of the program began in early 2019, with each university’s SDG Coordinators actively undertaking efforts to grow their Hub membership, coordinate community-building and education-based events, and engage with university staff to deepen the university’s contribution towards the SDGs.

In SDSN Australia, New Zealand & Pacific, the following universities are part of the SDG Students Program:

Australian National University
Deakin University
Monash University
University of Adelaide
Victoria University of Wellington

Here are a few highlights from the SDG Student Hubs in their first semester of operation:

The SDG Students Hub at Monash University hosted an information evening to present members and prospective Hub members with opportunities on campus to further their knowledge and impact on the SDGs. The event featured MSDI’s co-curricular programs Green Steps and Leave No One Behind, Monash SEED’s Incubator competition, the GREEN Program’s exchange offerings, and SDSN Youth’s global projects. Sarsha Crawley and Sherani Ruberu, two of the SDG Coordinators for Monash, also engaged with several student associations, clubs and societies throughout the semester to share knowledge on how they can interact with the SDGs.

During Campus Sustainability Week at the University of Adelaide, the SDG Student Hub hosted a SDGs Panel Discussion featuring sustainable development experts from the university. The panel focused on the formation of the SDGs, their relevance in developed and developing contexts, and the role Adelaide University and its students can play in taking action towards the SDGs. SDG Coordinators Luke Spajic and Stuart Henshall also had the opportunity to launch the Hub on the opening day of Sustainability Week.

SDG Coordinator for Deakin University, Ruvarashe Mugayapi ran a series of presentations during lectures, with the purpose of introducing the SDGs and encouraging students from various disciplines to participate in the SDG Student Hub. The Hub also held an event with the student society, Universal Health at Deakin, and invited students from the Faculty of Medicine to learn about the 2030 Agenda.