Learning

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership.

They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
 
Integrating the SDGs into courses and programmes means we can:

• Address global challenges and empower students as global citizens
• Enhance graduate prospects
• Encourage interdisciplinary learning

The SDG Hub is our dynamic and living repository of best practice, guidance, and examples from HE institutions and from industry. Sustainable Development Goals Hub

It's designed for all colleagues at the University to share ideas and showcase work. By accessing the hub you can find out:

• What are the SDGs and why are they important to us as a university?
• How can we embed SDGs across courses and programmes?
• How you can assess the relevance for your course or programme.
• Practical examples of SDGs being embedded across a range of specialisms.
• Industry guidance, articles, and literature to provide context.
• Podcasts, webinars, videos and more to inspire you as academics, and your students.

Using our Education for Sustainable Development Framework, we will support academics, programme leads, and teams to work towards the vision by following a staged approach - taking the programme or course as a whole:

• Programme Lead or Team understands the most relevant and material SDGs and how they align with the Professions-Facing elements of the programme, and has conducted a review of industry drivers and expectations in this area. All students are introduced to the relevant SDGs at a suitable point in the programme cycle
• Where the SDGs align with Professions-Facing elements of the programme these are clearly embedded in core modules and assessed as part of the overall programme learning and teaching approach.
• All of the most relevant and material SDGs (aligned with the Professions-Facing element of the programme) are embedded in core modules throughout.  Including in assessment and with opportunities for work-integrated and entrepreneurial learning experiences

The Sustainable Development Goals also now form part of the Programme Leadership Course, the Post Graduate Certificate HE, and Preparing to Teach (HE).

And we are building regular training and knowledge-building opportunities for academics into the year, including SDGs and Graduate Prospects workshops, and Carbon Literacy training.

In 2024/2025, there were two staff development sessions for academics – Connecting Global Goals to Student Success.

There is a sub-group of the Strategic Environmental Sustainability Group (SESG) leading this work, Chaired by Prof. Kevin Petrie - Professor of Creative Practice, Faculty of Education, Society and Creative Industries, and with a Champion from each school.    

Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing  

• School of Medicine - vacant
• School of Nursing and Health Sciences – Cath Turner 
• School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences – Meadhbh Conway 
• School of Psychology - Ruth Croxton 

The Faculty of Business and Technology 

• School of Business, Management and Tourism - Adam McNall, Elaine Crawford, Kris Woods  
• School of Computer Science and Engineering - Dave Knapton  

The Faculty of Education, Society and Creative Industries

• School of Education – Andrea Brown 
  School of Media and Creative Industries – Gary Stubbs 
• School of Social Sciences and Law - Fi McEwan-Thompson

University Hosts First-Ever Hackathon to Tackle Real-World Sustainability Challenges

The University of Sunderland has successfully hosted its first 12-hour student Hackathon, bringing together learners from across disciplines to develop digital solutions to real-world sustainability problems.

The event, a collaboration between the University’s Sustainability Team and the Developer Society, saw 14 students form three cross-disciplinary teams and respond to the challenge:

"There are multiple travel tickets and fare zones offered by different operators. How can we make it easier for the public to quickly figure out what ticket they need?"

The aim was to make public transport options clearer, more accessible, and user-friendly, especially for newcomers or visitors navigating the local transport system.
Participants had a full day of brainstorming, coding, designing, and presenting. The event featured expert mentors, free refreshments, and presentations from industry and academic speakers, including insights from the Smart Cities Team at Sunderland City Council and a motivational talk from Bahr Adnani, a Computer Science graduate, on building a standout CV through volunteering and project work.

“It was inspiring to see how quickly students from different backgrounds gelled and came up with creative solutions to a very real problem. There was a fantastic energy in the room, and this event is a great example of how we can bring sustainability, digital innovation, and student leadership together. We're excited to build on this momentum.” – Laura Kerry, Sustainability Officer, University of Sunderland.

After much deliberation, judges selected The Three Acers, made up of students Will Hall, David Okolie, and Danylo Hrekov, as the winning team. The trio, who met for the first time on the day, impressed judges with their teamwork, presentation skills, and thoughtful solution. Each received an Amazon voucher and a certificate of achievement endorsed by the Developer Society, University of Sunderland, and Sunderland City Council.

Student volunteers also played a crucial role in the day, helping with logistics, check-in, and catering to ensure the event ran smoothly.

“By showcasing the hackathon, we hope to raise awareness of the collaborative work happening across our student communities. It highlights the University’s support for student-led initiatives and reflects our shared commitment to sustainability and innovation. We’d love to see even more students involved next time!” – Cristina Corerra Segade, President of the Developer Society

The event was held in the Digital Incubator Hub at the University of Sunderland. The Hub aims to help small businesses and start-ups succeed by providing access to space for them to grow, as well as specialist facilities and expertise. The wheels are already in motion to build on the ideas presented, with hopes of organising summer sessions and developing the projects further in partnership with the Student Innovation and Knowledge Exchange team at the Centre for Graduate Prospects and local stakeholders.