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Millennium Fellowship Class of 2023: Young Leaders Making the SDGs a Reality

The Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) are proud to present the Class of 2023, an ambitious program to help make the Sustainable Development Goals and UNAI principles a reality. The Class of 2023 Millennium Fellows have been selected among a record-breaking 44,369 applicants from over 3,000 campuses across 170 nations.��  

Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected based on their leadership on sustainable development-related projects that advance the SDGs in their communities.�� As Millennium Fellows, they will participate in a semester-long leadership development program to improve their student organizing, partnership building and community impact skills.�� 

IT Education Through Cloud-Based Software: Korean University Leads

Startups are seen as an answer to some social challenges facing developing countries, such as jobs, value creation, and sustainability. The software field, from a ‘glocal’ perspective, is the most promising one for startups in developing countries that lack capital. This is because anyone can do business anytime, anywhere in the world, with a computer connected to the Internet without regard for physical or geographical limitations. However, certain developing countries have been unable to capitalize on it due to many constraints.

Academic Community Planting the Future: A Sustainable Initiative

�ճ���� says, “forests are among the largest carbon and biodiversity reservoirs on Earth, crucial for mitigating climate change and providing essential goods, services, and livelihoods.” Yet, the same document warns that “nearly 100 million hectares of net forest area have been lost over the past two decades” and “global forest coverage decreased” to 31,2%. This is naturally not in alignment with the , particularly its Goal 15.

Advancing Nuclear Research: Countering Cancer and Climate Change

Nuclear research is driving innovation in science, technology, medicine, and clean energy for the benefit of communities around the globe.��The issued  by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, already underlined that “the use of nuclear energy beyond electricity production is enjoying unprecedented momentum worldwide” and that “global interest in research reactors continued to grow.” The report also highlighted the relevance of isotope-based theranostics in cancer management, and the many “therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine.”

Living Lab in a Dutch University: Towards a More Sustainable and Healthy Food Future

A publication of the United Nations Environment Programme titled launched in 2022 says that “Excessive consumption of animal-based food and food wastage are two major contributors to lifestyles carbon footprints and major causes of other environmental challenges (…) Meat and dairy products, as well as certain kinds of seafood, have high environmental impact, not only per kilogram of food but also per calorie and per gram of protein. Plant-based protein sources (…) can meet nutritional needs of most healthy adults with a far smaller carbon footprint and reducing food waste.

Fashion Forward: Academia Partnering to Amplify Impact and Innovation

According to the , fashion is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions. The industry also produces a lot of waste, with 87% of fiber inputs incinerated or disposed of in a landfill and 20% of global wastewater worldwide is generated from fabric dyeing and treatment. Innovators and entrepreneurs are addressing these issues and finding solutions on their fashion journey.��

To move fashion forward as part of this era of sustainability, pioneering brands are making sustainability commitments and meeting challenges head-on. Tommy Hilfiger and its vision to ‘Waste Nothing and Welcome All’ reflects the urgent need for fashion and the global economy to enhance their business models and make them more sustainable. It is also one brand leading the way in the Fashion Frontier Challenge.��

Sustainable Energy Behavior: Ukrainian University Studies Digital Public Goods

Given the world’s challenges, including climate change concerns, efforts are being made globally to make the transition to renewable energies a reality. To explore how digital public goods could be used for such purpose, a team from 

Integrating Refugee Students: The Model of a Portuguese University

Some eight years ago, the flow of persons needing international protection to the European continent increased significantly, and many asylum seekers and refugees were in the typical higher education age range. In light of this situation, the , a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Portugal, created a unique channel for students, academics, and professionals with refugee status under applicable Portuguese Law and .

University in New Zealand Delivers Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education

Within the ,��Goal 4: Quality Education aspires to inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. As the Hub of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) for that Goal, the , a member institution in New Zealand, is working towards this in a unique context, with a diverse student body including cohorts of Māori and Pacific students.��

Addressing Violence Against Children: Paraguayan University Students Step In

“Violence against children is prevalent in each country where it is measured. Every survey conducted to date concerning violence against children has found that it is a significant and prevalent problem,” warns a  about this situation in Latin America and the Caribbean. To contribute to addressing such issue, the , a member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) in Paraguay, became part of the JERE Volunteer Program.

Fostering Inclusion of Visually Impaired University Students: A Digital Audio Library

Although the basic needs of those studying at the university are primarily similar, students with disabilities usually require additional and special attention from the institutions of higher education in which they study. And this is because the plans, programs, equipment, and accessibility of universities are typically more suitable for students who do not have disabilities. Thus, adaptation of the necessary physical and academic environment is vital to improve the educational experience of disabled students in general.

Pakistani University Innovates: Applying Modern Technologies to Agriculture

According to an  published in April 2023 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO, “the global agriculture value added increased steadily by 2.8 percent each year on average, from USD 2.9 trillion in 2012 to USD 3.7 trillion in 2021; it kept increasing despite the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.” In developing countries like Pakistan, the agricultural sector is indispensable to economic growth, food security, employment generation, and poverty reduction.

Egyptian University Improves Youth's Awareness of Climate Change

Climate change is a global emergency that goes beyond national borders, and it is a critical issue that, without a doubt, requires international cooperation and coordinated solutions at all levels. To tackle climate change and its negative impacts, world leaders at the  reached a breakthrough on 12 December 2015: the historic .

It includes commitments to reduce emissions and focuses on adaptation to the impacts of climate change while calling for strengthening obligations. In addition, the Agreement provides a pathway for developed nations to assist developing ones in their climate mitigation efforts while creating a robust framework for transparent monitoring and reporting of countries’ climate goals.

Protecting Older Adults: University Calls for Heat Health Education

“The impacts of weather and climate are most clearly felt during extreme events such as heavy rain and snow, droughts, heatwaves, cold spells, and storms, including tropical storms and cyclones. These meteorological and climatological extremes, individually, in combination and in conjunction with other factors, can lead to other events (…) Together, these have a wide range of impacts on human and natural systems,” warned the  which was published in April 2023 by the World Meteorological Organization.

Strategies Grounded In Scientific Research: Restoring Marine Ecosystem

Covering more than 70% of the planet, the oceans are arguably Earth’s most powerful resource. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, close to six hundred thousand kilometers of coastline edge them, and almost one-third of the world’s population—2.4 billion people—live within 160 kilometers of their shores. On that note, ocean degradation is one of humanity’s most compelling challenges, also addressed in the .