SDG 1 - No Poverty
Research
Research from Dr Paul Watts, senior lecturer in public health in the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, and Professor Gopal Netuveli from the Institute of Connected Communities (ICC), sheds light on the growing problem of “health poverty” faced by millions of older adults in the UK. Their 2023 study highlights how quickly rising living costs, combined with insufficient pensions, leave many older individuals struggling to afford essential health-related needs such as heating, food, and medication. These financial pressures are contributing to serious health challenges, pushing older adults into health-related poverty for the first time. The study calls for evidence-informed policy-making and real-time decision-making to mitigate the health impacts on older adults.
Teaching
UEL’s NGO and Development Management MSc examines central issues facing developing countries in today’s globalised world. Students gain practical skills needed by development agencies while also gaining a broader perspective on how developing countries can progress and how to mobilise those facing economic hardship to escape the poverty trap. The course also explores the role NGOs play in promoting social and economic progress, equipping students to identify, design and implement programmes that engage with and improve the conditions of economically disadvantaged communities. The course is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Global Development Studies and has been running for more than ten years.
Operations
UEL’s Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) is dedicated to supporting students before and throughout their studies, ensuring they have the financial guidance and assistance they need to thrive. SMART provides a wide range of services, including financial advice, food and accommodation support, and emergency assistance for students facing difficulties.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMART allocated more than £500,000 through the Exceptional Hardship Bursary, created to assist UEL students impacted by financial difficulties. Beyond this, SMART offers a range of support including a specific hardship bursary for students from low-income households, helping to reduce financial barriers to education.
Outreach
In 2019, UEL’s Institute for Connected Communities partnered with researchers in Zambia and Sierra Leone to establish the Africa Youth Safeguarding Network (AYSN), dedicated to understanding and addressing the psychosocial needs of children and young people (CYP) across Africa. Operating as a partnership between local organisations and research networks, the AYSN prioritises the needs of CYPs, who are often overlooked by traditional research methods. Since 2019, the network has expanded to include researchers and community organisations from South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, and Mozambique. Their approach integrates and shares proven frameworks across the network, such as the Digital Self-Defence tool developed in Rwanda, the Young Commissioner framework implemented in Zambia, and the Social Prescribing framework used in the UK.