Sustainability in Higher Education – Staff Briefing
A short staff briefing has been organised as part of SETU’s Sustainability in the Arts Festival activities, which is funded by SATLE and N-TUTORR The session, due to take place on Wednesday 10 April @ 1.15pm in A02, Cork Road Campus, will be facilitated by Dr John Barimo and Ambassador David Donoghue of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Ireland.
Refreshments will be served from 12.45pm.
Description:
This short staff briefing session serves as an introduction to the importance of Sustainability in Higher Education. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a global framework for addressing complex challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. Incorporating SDGs into our teaching fosters a sense of global citizenship among students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to contribute meaningfully to sustainable development and societal progress.
Speaker Bios:
Dr. John Barimo is the manager of the all-island Sustainable Development Solutions Network Ireland which is currently a network of 15 knowledge generation institutions actively engaged to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. He also led the co-creation of a pan-disciplinary SDG Toolkit and conducts professional development workshops to support teaching staff with the integration of the SDGs across the curricula. His previous academic was Head of Maths & Sciences at Miami Dade College (USA). He holds a M.Sc. from Virginia Commonwealth University in Biology and Ph.D. from the University of Miami in Marine Biology & Fisheries. John’s scientific research has centred around physiological ecology with a focus on biotic interactions and environmental toxicology. His professional career spans academics, governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations and private enterprise which includes civil service within the US National Marine Sanctuary Programme. John has also gained considerable experience working to provide educational opportunities within underserved multicultural communities.
Ambassador David Donoghue actively serves on the Leadership Council of both SDSN Ireland and the Global SDSN. He also had an extensive career including serving as co-chair of intergovernmental negotiations for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. He is a Professor of Practice at Queen’s University Belfast.
He was Ireland’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations until August 2017. During his time at the UN, Ambassador Donoghue served as co-facilitator for three major negotiations relating to sustainable development. He and his Kenyan colleague co-facilitated the major negotiation process in 2014-15 which led to agreement on the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. In September 2013 he and his South African colleague had co-facilitated a General Assembly conference which reviewed progress made on the MDGs. In 2016 he and his Jordanian colleague co-facilitated the negotiations which agreed the New York Declaration on large movements of migrants and refugees.