SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG education at UNSW
Watch this panel discussion on the SDGs and education, which was run as part of UNSW's inaugural SDG Showcase in September 2024.
The SDG Showcase was a free, all-day event open to all the community that presented the amazing work UNSW is doing to progress the SDGs through transformative education, innovative research and partnerships with communities around the world.
Our work
UNSW’s commitment to SDG learning and teaching
“Through accessible education, [UNSW will] empower current and future generations (Pillar 1 of UNSW’s strategy, Progress for All).”
UNSW aspires to enable every graduate the opportunity to engage with, and make their own contribution to, positive societal impact. This is supported by our work to contribute to and embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our education and student experience, research, engagement, operations and governance.
The UNSW SDG Steering Committee and faculty SDG groups work alongside teams from across the university to integrate opportunities for all learners to engage with the SDGs and build skills to contribute to the 2030 agenda into our curriculum, and in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Current strategic objectives for education build on our previous Strategy 2025 commitment to sustainable development, and long-term initiatives for Environmental Sustainability engagement, Principles for Responsible Management Education, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
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- SDG Degree Programs
- Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) EF Community of Practice - Open to anyone at UNSW and beyond passionate about embedding sustainability into learning
- SDG Course Analysis Dashboard - Developed by Associate Professor Fiacre Rougieux
- Humanitarian Engingeering Minor
- UNSW SDG toolkit – Moodle
- UNSW SDG toolkit – YouTube
- SDG Showcase
- UN SDG Challenge for first year students
- Centre for Ideas
UNSW Strategy in Action 2025
Universities are at the heart of the sophisticated global knowledge system shaping our future and UNSW has a key role to play. We aspire to improve lives globally, through partnerships, innovative research, transformative education and commitment to a just society.
The 2025 Strategy commits UNSW to:
Access & Equity
The 2025 University Strategy includes a commitment to developing student access and support activities that position UNSW as a leader, ensuring we nurture students of high potential regardless of their background. The Access and Participation Plan commits to increasing the participation and achievement of students from all equity backgrounds.
Access & Equity 2024 Impact Statement
The Impact Statement reports on the progress of initiatives relating to student outreach, access and equity, and the ways UNSW is working to ensure that historically underrepresented groups are receiving equitable access and improved educational outcomes at university.
Annual Inclusive Education Showcase
The annual showcase is a unique opportunity for the UNSW teaching community and others to learn about different inclusive technologies and practices, and how to incorporate them to make their their teaching and learning more accessible.
SDG toolkit videos
On the official YouTube channel for UNSW, you’ll find short-form factual content exploring how the world works and how you can make it better – including our SDG toolkit playlist.
EDI x SDGs Pecha Kucha
Watch Pecha Kucha presentations by 10 UNSW luminaries – ranging from students, postgraduates, academics, professional staff and university leaders – demonstrate how their approaches to equity, diversity and inclusion and education intersect with the SDGs.
Embedding SDGs into the UNSW curriculum
Associate Professor Veronica Jiang, UNSW Business School SDG Chair, outlines how UNSW Business School has enriched over 37 Marketing courses with SDG content to educate over 10,000 students.
Business leader podcast
The Business Think podcast, hosted by UNSW, features leaders from industry, government and for-purpose sectors sharing their views and experience about core issues shaping the future of business, such as sustainability and AI.
Centres, programs and partnerships
NSW Equity Consortium
A collaborative partnership between UNSW, UTS and Macquarie University to engage in outreach work which seeks to build student and school capacity for accessing tertiary education and improving post-school learning outcomes.
New Gateway Equity Target
In 2022, UNSW Sydney announced the Gateway Equity Target, which sets out that 25% of commencing undergraduate domestic students will be from low-SES backgrounds and/or socio-educationally disadvantaged schools by 2027. This target is an extension of UNSW’s Strategy 2025 focused on increasing the University’s social impact.
SDG learning resources
A collection of Sustainability Learning resources is available via the UNSW Sustainability site, including the SDG modules which present information on the SDGs in a simple and easy way to help academics consider ways that sustainability thinking can be included in their own teaching.
UNSW videos
On the official YouTube channel for UNSW Sydney, Australia’s global university, you’ll find short-form factual content exploring how the world works and how you can make it better.
Nura Gili Indigenous Youth Leaders Program
The Nura Gili Indigenous Youth Leaders Program is a multi-disciplinary program, where students experience University through all faculties and develop leadership skills through a cultural workshop.
Gateway Admission Pathway and Program (GAPP)
The Gateway Admission Pathway and Program is UNSW's primary initiative to ensure equitable access for underrepresented students. It combines a set of curriculum-linked learning experiences with an admission pathway that lifts students’ HSC attainment and ensures equitable access to UNSW.
UNSW Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP)
The UNSW Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) 2022-2025 commits the University to removing the barriers people with disability face when it comes to acessing and succeeding in tertiary education. It also aims to encourage the employment of people with disability at all levels of the University, both in the academic and non-academic spheres.
UNSW Making
UNSW is creating the largest network of connected Makerspaces and workshops in Australia. A network of genuine collaboration and shared values, these values are centred on the principle of barrier-free access to tools and tech for all students, staff and external partners.
Lifelong learning
UNSW believes in lifelong learning to help reach your professional development goals and offers opportunities, course discounts, coaching and study leave.
Shack Tutoring
Shack Tutoring is a free tutoring program connecting local high school students with volunteer university students as tutors.
UNSW Sustainable Development Goals 2024 Report
This report outlines UNSW's performance against the SDGs in 2024.
