SDG Week 2023

SDG Week 2023

University of Galway’s inaugural SDG week is taking place from 18-23 September 2023.

SDGsIRL

SDG Week 2023

SDG week belongs to everyone and is open to all, including students, staff and community partners. It is part of the wider European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW), which this year, will be held from 18th September to 8th October.

As national SDG Champion for Ireland we see this as an opportunity to act as an advocate and promoter of the SDGs, to raise awareness internally among our community of over 20,000 students and staff and to demonstrate by example that everyone can make a contribution to the UN SDGs.

Download our SDG Week 2023 flyer or click below for a day-by-day event listing.‌

Monday 18 September

11.30am             

SDG Poster Presentation by JE Cairnes School of Business & Economics    

Reception Area, JE Cairnes School of Business & Economics           

Organisers: Dr Ann O’Brien and Dr Johanna Clancy           

Coffee & Poster viewing. Posters will remain in place for the duration of SDG week, Monday 18th September to Sat 23rd September  

Contact: johanna.clancy@universityofgalway.ie  & ann.obrien@universityofgalway.ie                                                                          

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3pm-4pm            

Action for the SDGs        

ALIVE Áras na Mac Léinn               

Organisers: Dr. Lorraine Tansey  

Workshop: Do you want to make an impact on environment, health, education, equality, and more? Join in this interactive workshop to meet your fellow students interested in action for the SDGs. Together we will make SDG button badges with our in-house badge maker.  Plus come along and hear all about the projects available to you, join the award winning Glassary programme, explore the options and get started on making a difference right here in Galway with community groups.              

Contact: alive@universityofgalway.ie   www.universityofgalway.ie/alive                                                                

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4-5pm  

Joint Webinar: The Implementation of the SDGs in Higher Education.  UN Academic Impact & UNESCO-ILEC Webinar   

Organisers: United Nations Academic Impact      

Webinar where pre-registration is necessary  https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/briefing-higher-education-and-implementation-sdgs        

Through the webinar we will showcase some recent initiatives developed to inspire, guide and support higher education institutions to increase their contribution to the SDGs. First, a set of guidelines for leaders of higher education institutions jointly developed by UNAI and UNESCO-IESALC will be presented. Then, a preliminary version of SET4HEI will be launched, a self-assessment tool developed by UNESCO-IESALC to improve how higher education institutions evaluate the contribution to the 2030 Agenda. In addition, a selection of good practices cases compiled by UNAI will be explained, showing outstanding contributions of higher education institutions to the SDGs. The webinar will include testimonies, from faculty, staff, and students and will conclude with a Q&A session.

Contact: john.caulfield@universityofgalway.ie                                                                  

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5pm-6pm            

EcoSprint: Designing a Sustainable Campus for your Future          

IDEAS LAB- Next door to Smokey’s Café on Main Concourse          

Organisers: Ideas Lab & University of Galway Students' Union      

Information Session: Are you a University of Galway student?  Would you like to develop ideas to address a sustainability challenge on campus? Be in with a chance to win €500 to put your solution into action.  Find out more at the EcoSprint Information Session in IdeasLab, taking place part of SDG week

Register for the Information Session.  Booking link:   https://acesse.one/EcoSprintRegistration

 

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Tuesday 19 September

11am -12.30pm

Sustainable Food Systems & the SDGs     

Aula Maxima Lower       

Organisers: Dr Anne Mullen, Sustainable World Section, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences              

Panel Discussion: A discussion on the challenges contemporary food systems pose to human and planetary health, technological innovations to address these challenges from the forefront of research, and the mechanisms for driving science into political decision-making on food. With experts from international development, food security, environmental engineering, marine resources, and policy development, we look to the SDGs as a framework for structuring food systems change and, importantly, we'll ask if all food systems actors have the appetite for change.

Register for this event.

Booking Link: 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-food-systems-and-the-sdgs-tickets-709448127447?aff=oddtdtcreator

                                                                       

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12noon - 1pm

Construct Innovate Webinar on Sustainability Planning in Construction

Organiser: Prof Jamie Goggins in conjunction with Engineers ireland West

Open to ALL

Details: The webinar will be hosted on Zoom. You need to register for this free event  The webinar will include the following topics: What are the SDGs and how do they relate to design and construction in the built environment. Speaker: Prof Jamie Goggins, Director of Construct Innovate; Delivering Sustainable Infrastructure. Speaker: Conall Boland, Sustainability Lead, RPS; Build Up Skills Ireland 2030 national Roadmap. Speaker: Gloria Callinan, TUS Project Officer, Development Unit, Thurles campus.

Register for this event at Construct Innovate Webinar Series: Sustainability Planning in Construction (engineersireland.ie).

 

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12.30pm -2pm  

Lunchtime Lightning Talks - How Data Science is making an Impact on the SDGs   

Conference Room, Data Science Institute / Insight, IDA Business Park, Postcode  H91 AEX4  

Organiser: Brian Wall   

A series of 10min talks, Bring your own brown-bag lunch.             

Hear a series of talks covering projects that include SHAREPAIR; Translators without Borders: Sensing Air; Life Multi-Peat; WaterLANDS; and Mapping University of Galway's Research to SDGs     

Contact: brian.wall@universityofgalway.ie                                                                         

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1pm -2pm          

Land, Housing & the SDGs           

Máirtín O Tnuthail Theatre (AMB 1023)  

Organisers: Professor Padraic Kenna        

Lecture:Open to University of Galway Students and Staff

Contact: padraic.kenna@universityofgalway.ie                                                                 

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1pm -4pm          

SDGs @ First Year Societies Day 

Bailey Allen, Áras na Mac Léinn  

Organisers: Adam Mullins, founder of University of Galway Student Pantry             

Exhibition Stand: Are you a student interested in sustainability and the SDGs.  Hear from Adam Mullins , founder the Student Pantry, winner of the University of Galway Sustainability Leadership Awards at his Exhibition Stand as part of Societies Day.            

Contact: socs.universityofgalway.ie                                                                       

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5.30pm 7.30pm

ROAMing Citizen Science Workshop         

Location: IdeasLab            

Organisers: Dr Jessamyn Fairfield             

Workshop & Free Pizza: We are a team of University of Galway researchers running a project called 'We Built This City on Rock and Coal', which combines theatre, citizen science and sustainability workshops to empower people to take action on climate change. We want to test out potential citizen science experiments and would love to hear what you think. The workshop will run for maximum two hours and this work is approved by the University of Galway Research Ethics Committee.        

Contact: jessamyn.fairfield@universityofgalway.ie                                                                         

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7pm      

Students’ Union SDG Quiz Night, Corrib Room - Sult         

Organisers: SU Sustainability Officer, Molly Hickey            

Format: Quiz      

 

Wednesday 20 September

 

12pm -3pm        

SDGs @Clubs Day           

Venue: Kingfisher Sports Club     

Organisers: Adam Mullins             

Exhibition Stand: Are you a student interested in sustainability and the SDGs.  Hear from Adam Mullins , founder the Student Pantry, winner of the University of Galway Sustainability Leadership Awards at his Exhibition Stand as part of Clubs Day.                                                                              

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1pm -2pm          

Enter Net Zero with Deloitte       

Careers Seminar Room, Arts/Science Concourse   Briana Madden, Career Development Centre              

Employer Skills Event in Workshop format

Join Deloitte for a fun immersive workshop hosted by Deloitte’s World Climate Sustainability Leader Caitlin Flanagan! Take part in a game that will help you understand the challenges facing companies and investors as we move to a world of net zero. This event is run in association with the Career Development Centre’s Employability Award Sustainability Pathway              

You must register in advance on Careers Connect as places are limited                                                                 

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3pm -4pm          

Spotlight on the SDGs:  Commerce Students as Change Makers   

Kirwan Theatre & D'arcy Thompson Theatres - Main Campus       

Organisers: Dr Johanna Clancy & Dr Áine Ní Léime            

Interactive Awareness Seminar: Open to All First Year University of Galway Commerce (all Comm cohorts) Students              

Contact: johanna.clancy@universityofgalway.ie   ainenileime@universityofgalway.ie                                                                      

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5-6pm  

LIFT Leadership Facilitator Training           

Áras na Mac Léinn          

Organisers: Dr Lorraine Tansey   

Workshop: Grow your leadership skills in a small group and join the LIFT programme. You do not need to be in a particular role or have experience, LIFT is here to support you and give you a new opportunity – all welcome to join in! 

Registration required. Book at this link  https://www.universityofgalway.ie/student-life/campus-activities/leadership/ 

 

Thursday 21 September

Starting 9am Thursday 21 September

Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Summit  

Thomond Park, Limerick

Organisers: UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre and the Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN)       

Summit: Aligned with SDG 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre and the Prevention and Early Intervention Network (PEIN) are hosting a Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) Summit in Thomond Park, Limerick on September 21st- 22nd. The PEI Summit will provide dedicated time and space for all those working in and/or with a keen interest in prevention and early intervention services for children, young people, parents , families and communities to come together, exchange ideas, hear inspiring keynotes, inputs and stories, and enhance the collective voice. Under the prevention and early intervention theme, Dr Carmel Devaney & Professor John Canavan from the University of Galway will help explore what PEI means, what it looks like in practice, why it needs to be prioritised, how it meets the needs of children and families and the direction it needs to take in Ireland. The event is co-funded by Tusla- Child and Family Agency and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) What Works initiative. 

Contact: carmel.devaney@universityofgalway.ie  or email summit@pein.ie to register   

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10am to 4pm     

FREE WEEE Recycling Day for batteries, electric and electronic waste        

Orbsen Car Park

Lead:  Lorraine Rushe            

WEEE Collection lorries parked at Orbsen Carpark            

Open to students, staff and members of the public       

Find out more:  lorraine.rushe@universityofgalway.ie                                                                    

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11am-12 noon  

The SDGs & my volunteer work experience          

Mairtin O’ Tnuthail Theatre         

Organisers: Megan Milne-Thompson        

Presentation and Discussion: The role of the SDGs in volunteer work undertaken in Mexico with E.I.L – Intercultural Learning.  EIL Intercultural Learning (EIL/AFS) is an Irish “not for profit” educational organisation which provides intercultural learning opportunities through study abroad, youth leadership.  Find out more at www.eilireland.org      

Contact: M.Milne-Thompson1@universityofgalway.ie                                                                   

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11.30am - 4.30pm         

Seed collection and Sowing event            

Meeting at the Park and Ride Carpark in Dangan        

Organisers: Dr Caitriona Carlin   

Open to ALL      

University of Galway students and staff along with industry partners will collect from plants with ripe seeds and sow them in the grounds of the new student accommodation area. There are biodiverse meadows on campus, some are classified as rare calcareous grasslands. The plan is to investigate the potential of creating new grasslands using plants nearby from the calcareous plots. Participants will receive a short talk and demonstration before being allocated to a team to collect seeds from specific calcareous grassland plants.      

Contact: caitriona.carlin@universityofgalway.ie    

 

Friday 22 September

11am – 3.30pm

Student-led Environmental Summit

The Cube, Áras na Mac Léinn

Organisers: Molly Hickey

The event includes workshops on environmental issues, a panel discussion and a presentation from Let’s Do it India.

                                                              

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2pm-3pm

Speech and Language Therapy and The SDGs: Community and University Collaborations   

Venue: Room 225 Áras Moyola and zoom link https://universityofgalway-ie.zoom.us/j/94183812626?pwd=aHFvMHRXaDI5Z2FTYmV2STBkdFNrUT09    

This event aims to showcase a special issue publication by Speech Pathology Australia entitled Communication, Swallowing and the SDGs edited by Prof Sharynne McLeod and Prof Julie Marshall (International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (Volume 25, Issue 1).  The event will showcase the article by Dr. Clare Carroll, Ita Fitzgibbon and Mari Caulfield from the Discipline of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Galway. The event will include authors Dr. Clare Carroll and Ita Fitzgibbon, and Ita’s son Tom and they will share how their collaboration involved the SDGs.  

           

Contact: c.carroll@universityofgalway.ie                 

 

Saturday 23 September

10am - 1pm       

Just 3 X SDGs - Take part in our volunteer pledge     

An Nead (volunteer HQ), Terryland Forest Park, Sandy Road, Galway City. Google Maps Link.              

Organisers: International Office/Global Galway   

For SDG Week 2023, we are calling on all international students to take the ‘Just 3’ pledge and volunteer just 3 hours of their time with Terryland Forest Park. Join Tuatha volunteers of Terryland Forest Park on Saturday, 23 September at 10am for a morning of activities including planting fruit bushes, litter picking, removal of invasive species and hazelnut harvesting.This is a fantastic opportunity for international students to get to know Galway City and the surrounds, connect with the community, spend time in the outdoors and meet other students, as well as working towards the SDGs.   

Register at ‘Just 3’ on www.yourspace.universityofgalway.ie and start your ‘Just 3’ journey   

Contact: sorcha.nicaodha@universityofgalway.ie 

11am - 1pm       

Guided Biodiversity and Heritage Walk of the University of Galway Campus Grounds         

Meeting at the Quad Archway, University of Galway to walk the Biodiversity Trail and surrounding trails

Organisers: Dr Caitriona Carlin in conjunction with An Taisce

Booking link:   https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/sdg-week-biodiversity-heritage-trail-guided-walk-tickets-717009283067?aff=oddtdtcreator         

Contact: caitriona.carlin@universityofgalway.ie 

 

SDG Week in Shannon College

To mark SDG week Shannon College of Hotel Management will launch its Sustainability Committee which will include staff and students.

Each 1st year student will be introduced to a new system installed in our practical production kitchens. We are delighted to partner with Positive Carbon affording our students the opportunity to see the latest developments in food waste tracking and management in operation. Positive Carbon provides customers with a system which autonomously monitors food waste and generates AI Powered insights accessible through a mobile or web app. This will create savings to food bills by reducing the quantity of food waste. Through analysis of the data students can identify problem areas and formulate solutions for surplus therefore reducing our food waste. This system underpins our commitment to sustainability within the college and the hospitality industry by exposing the managers of the future to best practice. 

Organiser:  Helena Doody, College Manager, Shannon College of Hotel Management