SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals
Research
Since 2018, Dr Meera Tiwari, Reader in International Development Studies at the School of Childhood and Social Care, has led a project focused on localising the SDGs within UEL’s east London community. Dr Tiwari’s work emphasises the importance of the UN’s core principle, the “Leave No One Behind” principle, highlighting the need for academic institutions to collaborate with local organisations in driving meaningful change. Working alongside UEL students, the project partnered with Newham-based organisations committed to the SDGs to assess and enhance local capacities to meet global objectives. Key goals of the project include developing an SDG mapping toolkit to conduct a statistical review at local levels and identifying current gaps, opportunities, and challenges faced by the Borough in achieving the SDGs by 2030.
Teaching
In 2023, UEL launched a new course in Sustainable Development and Social Change, two decades after introducing its first course in International Development with NGO Management. The course examines how sustainable development and social change can impact some of the world's poorest regions, featuring case studies on the effects of globalisation across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Students have the opportunity to debate the importance of sustainable development and social change whilst considering global challenges like conflict, climate change, and humanitarian crises. A core part of our course is the opportunity to do a 20-day work placement – this has led to students being offered roles in organisations such as Plan International and Pump Aid.
Operations
UEL is proud to be a global hub for partnerships in research, learning, and innovation. As one of the most diverse universities in the UK, UEL welcomes students from over 160 countries, representing a wide range of cultural, social, religious and ethnic backgrounds. UEL also engages in numerous academic partnerships, with 25 partner institutions across 12 countries to deliver high-quality teaching and research. The University has established numerous partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to enhance its global engagement and academic offerings. For instance, UEL has partnered with the European Universities in Egypt (EUE) to expand its international reach. This collaboration aims to provide students with diverse educational opportunities and strengthen UEL's presence in the Middle East. Additionally, UEL has formed academic partnerships with institutions across Europe. Notably, its collaboration with Metropolitan College in Greece has made UEL the largest Transnational Education (TNE) provider in Europe. This partnership offers a range of programs, including those in architecture, computing, and engineering, thereby broadening educational access for students in the region. These partnerships showcase UEL's commitment to fostering international collaboration and providing high-quality education to a diverse student body.
Outreach
Shortly after Russia’s attempted full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a twinning initiative was established between Ukrainian and British Universities to create meaningful partnerships that support Ukraine institutions in both the immediate and long term. UEL is twinned with Cherkasy State Technological University, with both institutions having campuses situated along their cities’ rivers. Alan Chandler, Dean of Research for the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering and Co-Director of UEL’s Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) along with Sam Jelliman from SRI have worked closely with the team at Cherkasy University to deliver The Pilot Project ‐ drone-enabled participatory evaluation of Ukraine’s war‐damaged buildings. The project trains ordinary people to use drones to survey damaged buildings and create 3D models, which can then be used remotely to conduct damage assessments. These models are then passed on to a team of experts who identify the most suitable and sustainable reconstruction methods.
