Universities make a vital contribution to society. Year after year, our diverse network of universities continues to demonstrate expertise, resilience, and creativity in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
While the end of the year is an apt time to pause and reflect, it is also a moment to celebrate achievements, milestones, and learnings – of which are there have been many. A wealth of knowledge and expertise exists at universities across the world, and 2021 has seen this come to the fore in areas such as bridging the digital divide and spearheading critical solutions to tackle climate change, and more.
Here's a glimpse into some of the ways that member universities are building a better world through higher education.
Climate action
Universities – and the people within them - are ideally placed to leverage local, national, and international networks to drive climate action.
Find out more
- Read about our time at COP26
- Meet the Commonwealth Futures Climate Research Cohort Climate Cohort
- Join the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network
- Meet the universities tackling climate change
Find out more
- Applications for next year's ACU Summer School open in January 2022
- Find about more about the University of Manchester's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) course
- The Virtual Mobility Project Grants will re-open in April 2022
Find out more
- Find out more about the ACU Gender Grants
- The Martha Farrell Fellowships will re-open in May 2022
Bridging the digital divide
While the rapid shift to online teaching laid bare the stark digital divide in higher education, universities are uniquely placed to promote digital inclusion.
Find out more
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Read Sue Bennett's article in Times Higher Education.
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Listen to The Internationalist podcast series 2 on universities and the digital revolution – you can hear more from Sue Bennett in the What skills do students and staff need for the digital future? episode.
- Find out more about the Partnership for Enhanced and Blended Learning (PEBL).
Equitable partnerships
In a world where there are entrenched inequalities across so many aspects of life, it is essential for universities to be at the forefront of action and research that seeks to challenge and overcome these issues to build a more equal society for all.
Find out more and get involved
- Learn more about the Africa-UK research partnerships for development – a vision for future success
- Call for proposals: Equitable partnerships
We are seeking a higher education professional(s) to develop a toolkit that provides both theoretical grounding and actionable frameworks and tools to support our members in the development, delivery, and sustainability of equitable partnerships in international higher education.
Stay connected
In case you missed it: ACU Secretary General Dr Joanna Newman reflected on the highlights, key learnings and opportunities in 2021 and beyond in a Facebook and LinkedIn live.
The above is a testament to the power of international collaboration and networks. With the ACU Ambassadors scheme nearly doubling in size this year, we look forward to staying connected and working closely with our member universities in 2022.