Universities and colleges around the world are making commitments to advance the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) through their teaching, research, operations, and partnerships. One proven model for making good on this commitment is to establish a United Nations-affiliated RCE network. RCEs – Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) – are regional multi-stakeholder networks, grounded in higher education, that advance the SDGs through education and training. RCEs are proliferating, with over 180 networks around the world, including 27 in the Americas. 

In this webinar, we share how RCEs bring together institutions at the regional/local level to jointly promote ESD. They build innovative platforms to share information and experiences and to promote dialogue among regional/local stakeholders through partnerships for sustainable development. They create a local/regional knowledge base to support ESD actors, and promote four major goals of ESD in a resource-effective manner.

This webinar will provide a strong foundation for maximizing learning in the upcoming course through case studies, project implementation, and sharing of best practices.

Additionally, we will introduce the “Localizing the UN SDGs through Education,Training and Regional Collaboration” course and the instructors from the different RCE networks participating from Canada and the U.S.

For Members: Watch on Demand

For members: archived webinars on demand   Upcoming webinars

Presenters

Meghna Tare, Chief Sustainability Officer, University of Texas Arlington
As UT Arlington’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Meghna works collaboratively to foster partnerships among academic, research, and operational departments and promotes sustainability in areas of energy efficiency, waste management, transportation, education, outreach, and sustainability-focused curriculum. Meghna is the Founder and Director of Regional Center of Expertise for Education in Sustainable Development ( RCE North Texas), a program of the United Nations University, and the North Texas Food Policy Alliance. She has expertise in UN SDGs, public policy, CSR, climate change, equitable food systems, transportation, conservation, and social impact. She graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Management, MS in Environmental Science, and MS in Chemistry.

Jennifer Hirsch, Director, Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain, Georgia Institute of Technology
Dr. Jennifer Hirsch is an applied anthropologist recognized nationally for fostering grassroots participation in sustainability and climate action, using methods from visual and environmental anthropology, popular education, asset-based community development, participatory facilitation, and museum education. Since August 2015, she has been the inaugural Director of the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain at the Georgia Institute of Technology, which prepares students to use their disciplinary expertise to address the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges in collaboration with community partners. Dr. Hirsch is the co-founder and lead coordinator of RCE Greater Atlanta, officially acknowledged by the United Nations University in 2017, and is currently serving as Chair of the AASHE Board of Directors. She is also Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of City and Regional Planning at Georgia Tech and an affiliate of The Asset-Based Community Development Institute hosted by DePaul University.

Roger Petry, Professor of Philosophy, Luther College at the University of Regina
Dr. Roger Petry is a Professor of Philosophy at Luther College at the University of Regina (Canada) teaching in the areas of ethics, sustainable development, and philosophy of religion. His research explores strategic dimensions in moving to sustainable systems including historic transitions in production, disruptive technologies, and the role played by universities. He coordinates the University’s Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program and Certificate in Sustainability. Dr. Petry is Co-coordinator of the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Saskatchewan (RCE Saskatchewan) acknowledged by the United Nations University (UNU) in 2007 and was appointed the UNU’s Regional Advisor to RCEs in the Americas in 2020. He co-leads the International Association of Universities’ (IAU) Higher Education Cluster on Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12).