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SDG Week Canada brings together universities and colleges across the country to increase awareness of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during the first week of March. And, for the second year in a row, Queen’s community members can participate in a variety of in-person and virtual events and workshops. From learning about the honey produced on west campus to opportunities for research collaboration, SDG Week provides an opportunity to learn from each other, and peers across the country, about how higher education is advancing the SDGs.

is organized by the Sustainability Hub at UBC, Colleges and Institutes Canada, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada at the University of Waterloo, of which Queen’s is a member. During the inaugural SDG Week in 2023, 60 institutions organized more than 100 events. This year’s focus is on raising awareness of SDGs in curriculum and research, institutionalizing SDGs in campus operations, and creating opportunities for collaboration.

SDG Week at Queen's

The Office of the Principal and the Vice-Principal (Research) Portfolio are hosting two networking events for researchers, students, and staff to meet, share information and opportunities about research, and celebrate our collective progress towards the SDGs. The first event on March 5 is focused on SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities with the second on March 7 highlighting SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. There will be opportunities to make connections for collaborations and learn about advancing the SDGs at Queen’s.

Smith Engineering has partnered with How to Change the World, an organization co-founded by a Queen’s alumna, to host an interactive webinar for students. They will provide practical advice on how everyone – from accountants to artists to aerospace engineers – can rapidly develop a sustainability lens for their future career. Students will learn how they can apply the knowledge and skills of their degrees toward tackling real-world sustainability challenges and develop a foundational skill set for the workplace.

Students also have the opportunity to learn more about and try Queen’s Bees Honey. As part of a two-year pilot project, Queen’s Hospitality Services and the Facilities portfolio partnered with a local beekeeper to set up an apiary on west campus, benefiting our campus ecosystem and providing a living lab supporting experiential learning. On March 7 students can try it during lunch service at Queen’s dining halls.

New events are being added every day. Visit the Office of the Principal’s website for up to date information and to access virtual events across the country.

Advancing social impact report

Queen’s has released the third annual edition of the Advancing social impact report. The report and corresponding website provide a snapshot of the university’s activities in research, teaching, outreach, and stewardship to support the SDGs. The purpose is to inspire further ideas, actions, and collaborative opportunities and partnerships to help advance social impact and track our progress towards the goals. Another method through which Queen’s measures progress is by participating in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, the only global performance tables that assess universities against the SDGs. In 2023, for the third year-in-a-row, Queen’s ranked among the global top 10, placing third worldwide and first in North America out of over 1,700 universities in 115 countries.

Note: This article originally appeared in the Queen's Gazette.