That's what Global Network of Universities is all about
'SDG4Education' is a very apt term! All the 17 SDGs require 'education for all' in order that their implementation takes place on time and effectively SDG 4 is about Ensuring inclusive and equitable education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Four underlying principles of SDG4 are:
- Education is a fundamental Human right
- Providing Access to Scientific Data is Key
- Gender Equality is essential to Accelerate
- Lifelong Learning Opportunities are needed
Smart Campus Cloud Network, a global network of universities aims to skill the youth to adopt to sustainable lifestyle and for responding to the changes in environmental, social and governance challenges. It is 'learning' to make informed decisions in the face of global challenges by 'doing' and transforming the campus as a living laboratory for sustainable development.
India, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi has initiated an innovative path to implement SDG4. It is titled, ''Study Webs of Active-learning for Young Aspiring Minds'', or 'SWAYAM' (in Sanskrit it means 'Self'.) It is an online platform that hosts all courses from Secondary education to the post-graduate level. With over 34 million enrolments and more than nine thousand courses, it has become a very effective learning tool. India also has the ''Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing'' or' Diksha' (meaning initiation into learning') Portal. Teachers utilize it to deliver school education through distance learning. It supports learning in twenty-nine Indian languages and seven foreign languages. It has witnessed over 137 million course completions.
This is a very vivid example of how digitalisation can be deployed for the implementation of SDGs starting with SDG4. Digitalisation makes youth future ready. And future ready means SDG-Ready. On 28th June, I had the opportunity to interact with students and faculty of Birla Institute of Management Technology on, 'Future-ready youth must be SDG-ready'. I presented seminal means of the use of digital technology for SDGs and Carbon Neutrality.
Future readiness needs digitalisation. This 'News from Universities and the University of News' includes stories to make the point. Future-Readiness and SDG-Readiness need Digital-Readiness. END
Dr Rajendra Shende
Former Director UNEP, IIT Alumni
Founder Director, Green TERRE Foundation
Prime Mover Smart Campus Cloud Network
Coordinating lead author of IPCC.