La Universidad Austral participated in 58th International Congress of the Latin American Council of Management Schools, #CLADEA2023This event featured the participation of prestigious speakers and workshops, with the aim of strengthening education in administrative sciences at a global level.

Liliana Luchi, coordinator of Austral Libraries, and María José Murcia, director of the Center for Studies in Sustainability and Social Innovation (CESIS) of the Universidad Austral and professor in IAE Business School They participated on behalf of our university and gave a lecture on topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations General Assembly.

Libraries play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs by promoting universal literacy, facilitating access to information, fostering digital inclusion, and serving as knowledge hubs. These actions include supporting digital literacy and skills, overcoming barriers to information access, building networks of government services, promoting digital inclusion through information and communication technologies (ICTs), functioning as centers for the academic and research community, and preserving and providing access to world culture and heritage.

In her presentation on the Austral Libraries' Commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals , Liliana Luchi emphasized: “The Austral Libraries play a significant role in promoting education and equal opportunities through scholarship programs, which they achieve by offering scholarship recipients the opportunity to study in a suitable learning environment. It is important to note that the libraries are the preferred workplace for scholarship recipients, demonstrating their importance as spaces that support education. This contribution aligns with several SDGs, particularly Quality Education and Reduced Inequalities, as it promotes access to education and equal opportunities for students through scholarship programs and access to academic resources.”

One of the libraries in our institution that demonstrates this contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals is that of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences , and its role is reflected in several key aspects:

Access to medical research : They provide essential access to medical research and information resources, thereby supporting improvements in public health. The availability of up-to-date and reliable information contributes to informed decision-making in the health sector.

Education and awareness : By providing public access to health information, this unit empowers people to be better informed and encourages healthy practices. This is essential for achieving wellness goals and preventing disease.

Support for healthcare professionals : The medical library is a crucial source of research resources and data for healthcare professionals and educators. This supports the training and development of evidence-based medical practices, which in turn contributes to improved healthcare and health outcomes.

For her part, María José Murcia addressed the topic of Sustainability as a task for the University . In this regard, Murcia emphasized that sustainability is revolutionizing the four basic areas of university activity: teaching and research, impact on people and society, governance, and campus management. “It is a normative principle that must be understood in relation to global and intergenerational justice in the face of the challenges posed by current changes in the socio-environmental system ,” she asserted.

The director of CECIS also stated that it is not an externally prescribed goal, but rather an open-ended process of inquiry; therefore, it is pluralistic and locally situated, according to the unique identity of each higher education institution. “Incorporating sustainability at the heart of university life is fundamentally aimed at developing and strengthening cultural competencies to shape the social transition toward sustainable development ,” she concluded.

Through its five libraries, the Universidad Austral will continue working towards strengthening the Sustainable Development Goals.