With the aim of supporting the Sustainable Development agenda proposed by the United Nations (UN) through concrete actions that improve the quality of life worldwide, addressing social, economic and environmental challenges, the Universidad Austral It joins the ACT4SDGs project supported by ERASMUS.

ACT4SDGs (whose acronym in English is Act For Sustainable Development Goals) has as main objective: to improve the quality of Higher Education en Argentina, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Mexico, addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN in their curricula.

This is a European Union initiative that promotes education and funds various projects, as well as fostering research and cooperation among 14 universities from countries in Europe and Latin America, which are associated with the ACT4SDGs project and will carry out a series of actions over three years.

On behalf of the Universidad Austral And among the leaders of this project are Dr. María José Murcia, who directs the initiative from the Center for Studies in Sustainability and Social Innovation (CESIS-Austral); Delfina Martelletti, a doctoral candidate at the School of Education who assumed the role of coordinator; and Dr. Santiago Bellomo, dean of the School of Education.

“Austral University’s participation in this international project strengthens our commitment to sustainability, enhances our capacity to offer a quality education, promotes pedagogical innovation, and consolidates our position as leaders in education for a more sustainable future. It is a unique opportunity to contribute significantly not only to achieving our institutional goals, but also to the SDGs,” Martelletti stated.

The ACT4SDGs project recognizes the central role of higher education institutions in the training of conscious and committed citizens with sustainable development. Its comprehensive approach seeks to transform academic teaching, to improve the quality of education and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs in the Latin American region Through pedagogical innovation and the development of teaching skills, active student participation and the development of critical thinking are fostered, enabling the effective addressing of current global and regional challenges.

As a first step, a awareness campaign, whose purpose is to spread awareness of the importance and impact of improvements in educational quality linked to sustainable development. It is important to encourage the participation of the various actors in order to inspire tangible actions that contribute to the transformation of teaching.

About ACT4SDGs

Over the course of three years, a series of actions will be implemented to improve the quality of higher education and address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their approach will include:

• Awareness and Standards Development: Events will be held to professionalize academic teaching and incorporate the SDGs into curricula.
• Development of a Training Platform: A hybrid/blend platform will be created for the Continuing Professional Development of teaching staff, with training materials.
• ICT Centers: ICT labs will be used in each university to foster innovative teaching and curriculum development, with a focus on professionalization and the SDGs.
• Accelerated Training Program: An accelerated training program will be implemented for teaching staff in innovative pedagogies and the incorporation of the SDGs in various disciplines.
• Policy and Networking Proposals: An Action Plan will be developed for the creation of National Accreditation and Certification Centers, in addition to establishing a Euro-Latin American Network for the professionalization of teaching and the SDGs.
• Infrastructure for Sustainability: The necessary infrastructure and resources will be established to monitor, evaluate and maintain these changes in the long term, involving more than 3000 stakeholders.