Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) Special EventDriving collective action for the SDGs: The role of further education
Building a sustainable and resilient recovery
7 July 2021, 9:00 - 11:00 am (EDT) // Location: VirtualIntroduction
The Higher Education Sustainability (HESI) Special Event takes place annually during the HighLevel Political Forum (HLPF) in order to highlight the critical role of higher education inachieving sustainable development by forming the current and future generation of leaders,
driving the research and policy agenda for both the public and private sectors, as well as
facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration at the local and global level. This forum is also meant
to bring together key actors in the space to highlight the challenges, the opportunities andlessons learned to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This year’s HLPF will focus on “Sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19 pandemic
that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development:
building and inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the contextof the decade of action and delivery of sustainable development”. The 2021 HLPF will discussspecifically SDGs 1 (on poverty reduction), 2 (on zero hunger), 3 (on good health andwell-being), 8 (on decent work and economic growth), 10 (on reduced inequalities), 12 (onresponsible consumption and production), 13 (on climate action), 16 (on peace, justice andstrong institutions) and 17 (on partnerships), considering the integrated, indivisible andinterlinked nature of the SDGs. In that sense, while SDG 4 is not the distinct focus of this year,
this SDG constitutes a critical enabler of a sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19
pandemic and the progress on all of the SDGs.
Objectives of the event:As HLPF participants explore various aspects of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, frominternational cooperation to controlling the pandemic and its impact to put the world back on
track to achieve the SDGs by 2030, this event aims to:

1. Provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the Higher
Education sector, as well as the lessons learned, to support a sustainable and resilient
recovery from COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social andenvironmental dimensions of sustainable development.

12. Highlight key stakeholder initiatives that drive innovative efforts in support of therecovery and achievement of the SDGs, through education, teaching and learning,
decarbonization of campuses, and other crucial endeavors.
3. Convene an evolving and action-oriented conversation on how to bring about thecollective systemic change needed to realize the decade of action and achieve theAgenda 2030.
Agenda09:00

Welcome and open remarks
Brief overview of the progress we have made over the past 12 months and theobjectives of the event (Florencia Librizzi, Head of Program and Partnerships,
SDG Academy, SDSN and Co-Chair of HESI)

09:05

Presenting the SDG Accord Annual Report
Presented by Fiona Goodwin, Director of Operations and Planning, The
Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education (EAUC)

09:10

Session 1: Where are we now: Building a sustainable and resilient
recovery from COVID-19 pandemic: Taking stock of the challenges,
opportunities and lessons learned for Higher Education to steer thechange.
Conversation with insights on the challenges, opportunities and lessons
learned of Higher Education to contribute to a sustainable and resilient
recovery from COVID-19 pandemic, and promotes economic, social andenvironmental dimensions of sustainable development:●●●●●Moderator: Sam Barratt, Chief of Youth, Education and Advocacy
UNEP
Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education,UNESCO
Sophia Eriksson Waterschoot, Director for Youth, Education andErasmus+, DG Education and Culture, European Commission
Prof. Phoebe Kounduri, Athens University of Economics andBusiness, Chair of the Taskforce “Green Recovery” COVID-19
Lancet Commission
Kelo Uchendu, MOCK COP26 Campaign Coordinator & Engineer2●●09:50

Moderator: Summarising all these insights into 4-5 key lessons
Q&A: 10-minute discussion and questions from the audience

Session 2: Multi Stakeholder partnerships and action to support systemicchange for sustainable development – Big ideas to shift higher education
on to the pathway the world needs – 3-minute pitch sessions●

Moderator: Alexander Leicht, Chief of the Section of Education for
Sustainable Development, UNESCO●

How can Universities decarbonise, and fast? Tim Carter,
President at Second Nature
How to integrate Education for Sustainable Development
across all levels of education? Chandrika Bahadur, Director ofSDG Academy, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network(SDSN)
How can tech catalyse a break-through on equity? TBD
What incentives are needed in the rankings of Higher
Education? Duncan Ross, Chief Data Officer, Times Higher
Education
How can research and publishing be directed to address realworld problems? Debra Rowe, President, US Partnership for
Education for Sustainable Development
How can the UN work with governments to make sure young
people today are ready for green job opportunities? Suzana
Puerto Gonzalez, Senior Youth Employment Specialist, ILO
How to assess and increase your sustainable literacy?
Jean-Christophe Carteron, President of the Sulitest and CSR
Director, Kedge BS
How can Universities make a difference in addressing thenature crisis? Joseph Bull, Senior Lecturer at the Durrell Institutefor Conservation and Ecology; Visiting Researcher at the Universityof Oxford
What is the role of HEIs in reaching out to the local community andmoving SDGs forward together? Shinobu Yamaguchi, Director of theUnited Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study ofSustainability (UNU-IAS)

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10:40

Session 3: Final Reflections: Multi Stakeholder insights
Keynote listeners:
Youth voice: Bea Harrison, Teach the Future volunteer
Academic voice: Labode Popoola, Professor of Forest Economics andSustainable Development, University of Ibadan, Vice-Chancellor of Osun State
University and Chair of UN SDSN Network Nigeria
Facilitator: John North,
Leadership Initiative (GRLI)

10:55-11:00

11:10

Executive Director at Globally Responsible

Closing remarks (Co-chairs of HESI Sam Barratt and Florencia Librizzi)International Green Gown Awards
Announcement of the 2021 International Green Gown Award winners, inpartnership with EAUC.

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