On 18 November 2010, United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) was created by the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon and the late J. Michael Adams, then President of Fairleigh Dickinson University. The initiative aims to align universities worldwide more closely with the United Nations and tap into their research, innovation and scholarship to further the goals of the UN as well as to help educate future generations of global citizens.
Over the past decade, UNAI has grown into a diverse and vibrant network of students, academics, scientists, researchers, think tanks, institutions of higher education, and educational partners. Its 1,500 member institutions in more than 145 countries reach nearly 25 million people in the education and research sectors around the world. Among these members, 10 UNAI Principle Hubs and 17 SDG Hubs serve as exemplars for their innovative scholarship and engagement related to peace, human rights, intercultural dialogue and the Sustainable Development Goals, conducting cutting-edge research and educating the next generation of leaders to change the world.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of United Nations Academic Impact, several commemorative activities were held on Wednesday, 18 November 2020, including the , organized in partnership with the Millennium Campus Network (MCN), which honored students using their skills to create social impact in communities around the world. The partnership between UNAI and the MCN has been significant in amplifying the contribution of undergraduate student leaders in advancing the SDGs in their communities and around the world. “To me, the United Nations Academic Impact is one of the most significant initiatives within the United Nations system – it makes the UN relevant and resonant to an entire new generation of student leaders and to campuses worldwide,” said Sam Vaghar, Executive Director of MCN.
"It’s a powerful day,” said UNAI Chief Ramu Damodaran as he highlighted the role of academia in advancing the UN’s work, “and a day which brings to mind what we as the United Nations and you as students can work together to do, for those we’ve never met and never will."
“Education is one of the world’s great enablers of progress,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his on this milestone, encouraging all UNAI members to bring their energy and ideas to solve the global challenges of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the climate crisis and promoting digital cooperation for the common good.
The eighth UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon also and encouraged youth to join efforts to realize the 2030 Agenda: “You have the power to demand urgency and ambition and to supercharge ideas into solutions, and United Nations Academic Impact is here to serve as the bridge between you and the United Nations.”
Acknowledging the unique role youth play in advancing gender equality, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka noted, “It is an intergenerational effort, and you have to stand on our shoulders so you can look much further than you could ever see.”
The ceremony also honored six leaders with the 2020 Global Generation Award, and featured remarks by Millennium Fellows, university leaders and videos of their work.
Later in the evening, UNAI member Adelphi University hosted, performed by the Adelphi Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Orchestra Director Stefano Miceli. The program included Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango, Ennio Morricone’s The Mission, Suad Bushnaq’s Tomorrow, Penka Kouneva’s Build 国产AV, and Adelphi faculty member Paul Moravec’s Autumn Song.
The global concert was joined by special guests from the spheres of multilateral diplomacy and academia, including the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; the 8th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon; Jose Singer, Ambassador to the Dominican Republic in the UN Security Council and Adelphi University alumnus; Ramu Damodaran, Deputy Director for Partnerships and Public Engagement, Outreach Division, UN Department of Global Communications; as well as Adelphi University’s Provost and Executive Vice President Steve Everett, Symphony Orchestra Director Stefano Miceli, Professor of Political Science Katie Laatikainen and student Saira Amar.
