CCRI researchers Julie Ingram and Chris Short, together with Kenny Lynch from SNSS and ably supported by CCRI placement student Ella Rowe, successfully ran an online conference for University of Gloucestershire researchers on 16th December.
The conference on Sustainable Development Challenges was an excellent opportunity to celebrate and share the achievement of researchers across the university within the framework of the global sustainable development challenges. Many thanks to all presenters, chairs, participants and panel members for your contributions.
The scope of research presented was impressive, covering a range of countries and Sustainable Development Goal challenges:
- Egypt, Ethiopia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Moldova, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, India
- Water, education, hunger, data, wildlife conservation, human trafficking, sustainability, economic crisis, agriculture, entrepreneurship, sanitation
Equally the quality and impact of the research was high, which is testament to the long-standing partnerships we have all build up with institutions across the world.
Some common themes emerged from the presentation:
- The importance of developing systems approaches and frameworks to enhance both the understanding and governance of sustainability challenges
- The vulnerability of food, and water and sanitation systems in particular stood out, and the need for systemic approaches to tackling these, particularly in the context of covid, economic crisis or post-conflict/disaster
- The significance of data, to inform and support conservation, farming adaptation, sanitation, water management and child development, and the need for the relevant researcher and student skills
- The need to incorporate an understanding of social systems, to foster resilience and entrepreneurship, and to promote inclusiveness and local implementation
The panel on decolonising research and education posed and answered some thoughtful questions and reminded us that we need to reflect on our role as teachers and researchers, as well as journal editors and reviewers. It was felt this was just the start of a wider conversation.
