SDG 17 Partnerships for the goals

UIC Barcelona has 24 groups Research centres. in different scientific areas, with a dual objective: to promote scientific, economic and social activity and impact, and to promote national and international projection. Among the groups we would like to highlight:

• “GRE- Law, 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Recovery in Catalonia (RESCAT 2030)”. Its objective is to study relevant legal aspects of sustainable recovery in Catalonia. The research is carried out in terms of the four sustainability concepts of the United Nations 2030 Agenda (social, institutional, economic and environmental). The methodological approach is essentially a legal one with a focus on the social sciences.

The institutes of the University aim to generate knowledge and contribute to the development of a specific field of study, and promote sustainability, quality education, social commitment and sustainable development goals.   

The coordination of research and transfer activities is carried out by a network of research groups, chairs, research institutes and business classrooms. Some highlights of this ecosystem are:

• “Nine UIC Barcelona researchers among the most influential in the world”: For the second consecutive year, UIC Barcelona researchers are part of the prestigious ranking prepared by Stanford University. The nine researchers and teachers belong to the following faculties: Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and UIC Barcelona School of Architecture
• “UIC Barcelona researchers create the first disposable solid cosmetic with packaging that can be applied to the skin”: The team, led by Román Pérez and Begoña Bosch, director and researcher at the Bioengineering Institute of Technology (BIT), has created the first disposable solid cosmetic to contribute to the elimination of plastics in this sector.

UIC Barcelona has a deep commitment to meaningful, cross-disciplinary education applicable to all students regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This commitment is carried out through various initiatives and strategic plans, integrated into the mission and vision of the University.

The UIC Barcelona curricula address issues related to sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and train students to face global and local challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions. 

The following postgraduate  and master’s degrees specifically address sustainability:

At UIC Barcelona, we are proud to be an institution committed to promoting and meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, SDG 17, “Partnerships to Achieve the Goals”, highlights the importance of collaboration and cooperation in addressing global challenges. In this spirit, we have developed a series of educational activities aimed at promoting awareness and sustainable action for our entire community, including students, alumni, local residents and displaced persons. 

Among our initiatives, we would like to highlight:

4.1.1 Cross-Disciplinary Sustainability Workshop

The Cross-Disciplinary Sustainability Workshop is an annual conference open to the entire university community in which an issue associated with the Sustainable Development Goals is approached from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Through conferences, roundtables and the public presentation of papers from different bachelor’s and postgraduate degrees, students provide information, and participants are encouraged to think about and adopt more sustainable habits. All UIC Barcelona students are invited to develop research projects related to the topic under discussion and present their results to a research project contest as a didactic proposal or in a research project format.

4.1.2 SDG Congress

The SDG Congress is committed to raising awareness among the youth and educating them in the value of solidarity and the field of Development Cooperation. It is an opportunity for teachers and students of all degrees to reflect and share research projects on the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda in a common space.

Since 2010, UIC Barcelona organises an annual university congress. This congress encourages intellectual habits, critical thinking and social commitment. Through research and study, characterised by scientific rigour and interdisciplinary dialogue, students from our university and others have the opportunity to present papers that bring to light new developments for social improvement and to help care for the environment around them.

 

• Laudato Sí Classroom of Sustainability Thinking. This is a monthly space open to the entire community where sustainability is worked on within the framework of the Laudato Sí document.
• UIC Social Day is an annual event organised by UIC Barcelona, dedicated to promoting solidarity and social commitment among the entire university community.
• 8 Edition - Resuscitation and First Aid Workshop is an activity aimed at students in secondary schools and vocational training programmes throughout Catalonia. Through practical and visual workshops, students learn basic first aid cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques through simulation practices in a real environment.

At UIC Barcelona, we understand the importance of providing support and education to vulnerable people, including displaced persons and refugees for the eradication of poverty and the reduction of inequality.

4.2.1 Collaboration project with the Bayt al-Thaqafa Foundation: 

4.2.2. Through the AIDIR Unit of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, we have developed various initiatives aimed at training community leaders in the field of health. This commitment is reflected in projects such as AIDIR Nursing Leaders, which focus on providing specialised education and training to nurses in disadvantaged communities.

4.2.3. Collaboration with the Invulnerable de Manresa programme, an initiative to combat child poverty, promoted by the La Caixa Foundation and Sister Lucía Caram. The Faculty of Dentistry renewed its collaboration agreement with this programme to deal with oral problems of children at risk of social exclusion.

4.2.4. Through two Spanish Refugee Assistance Commission (CEAR) and SOS UKRAINE foundations, dental students provide voluntary care for refugees and displaced persons. In addition, the Faculty of Dentistry is collaborating with the City of Sant Cugat to offer a service of oral review to users of municipal social services. The goal is to ensure that those with fewer resources have access to these basic health services.

4.2.5. UIC Barcelona encourages its students to participate in volunteering through the Social Credit project. This project allows students to obtain credits in exchange for participating in different volunteer or solidarity activities. In the case of the bachelor’s degree in Medicine or Psychology, it is an essential requirement to perform 50 hours of volunteering with a social organisation. In the 2022-2023 academic year, 45 students from the Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and 18 students from the Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology participated. 

4.2.6. The Solidarity Curricular Practicum has been in operation since 2016. The degree programmes qualifications that have incorporated it are the following: Law, Business Administration, Audiovisual Communication, Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Humanities and Nursing.

It is a teaching methodology that aims to develop skills such as empathy, flexibility, adaptability, commitment, attitude of selfless service, time management, initiative, among others. It consists of 30 hours of dedication by the student to a volunteer activity in an organisation that provides support to vulnerable people.

Managers of the organisations keep a track of the student’s progress and send an evaluation at the end of the placement. After the 30 hours of volunteering, the student must deliver a  journal about their experience. This activity is part of a subject. In most cases, the placement is 20% of the final mark and is not mandatory. The student can choose to do the placement or a different job. 90 students participated in the 2022-2023 academic year.

List of organisations in which the volunteers have collaborated with the Solidarity Credit Project and the Curricular Solidarity Practicum.

4.2.7. The Cooper Plan aims to promote social commitment and international cooperation, encouraging the participation of the university community in cooperation projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Cooper Plan has funding of €20,000 per year, intended to cover part of the cost of travel of UIC Barcelona members and other partners in the development of social action activities to developing countries. A total of 45 persons participated in the 2022-2023 course and travelled to the following countries:

• Guatemala: Oral medical care.
• Ambatondrazaka (Madagascar), health care and training.
• Peru, care for disadvantaged children.
• Palestine, support for children and adolescents in schools in Bedouin communities.
• Uganda, health care (medical and dental); construction of equipment; sports and educational activities for people with disabilities; support for doctors and nurses. 
• Tanzania, support for health professionals at Arusha Hospital.
• Kenya, support for doctors and health personnel and teachers. 
• India, care for children in an orphanage through educational workshops and recreational activities.
• Indonesia, care for children in training activities.
• Costa Rica, education support. 

UIC Barcelona also recognises the fundamental role that our students play in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals. To highlight their achievements and contributions, we have established the SDG TFG/TFM Awards, which recognise the best undergraduate and master’s degree projects focused on the 2030 Agenda. These awards not only celebrate the academic effort of our students, but also underscore their commitment to sustainability and social development.

In addition, events such as the Global Meeting, which brings together a thousand people in the emblematic Palau de la Música, serve as platforms for our alums to share experiences, projects and collaborative networks. This annual meeting strengthens the ties between members of our university community and fosters a spirit of collaboration and continued commitment to the SDGs. In 2022-2023, the Best Transformative Project Award was presented to the project Toilets Block for Themi School (Arusha, Tanzania) by Valentina Riverso, alums of the Master of International Cooperation Sustainable Emergency Architecture. MICSEA, from UIC Barcelona School of Architecture, and Ignacio Blasi (Dentistry) the Alumni Award for his professional career.

UIC Barcelona students are also involved in efforts to promote the SDGs through student volunteering, research programmes and educational initiatives with NGOs and associations.

UIC Barcelona is committed to active participation in the development of policies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our collaboration includes cross-sectoral events with governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as direct participation in national government policy development. Through cross-sectoral events, UIC Barcelona collaborates with various organisations with the aim of achieving the SDGs, and contributes significantly to the progress of these goals at national level. This participation is reflected in:

5.1. Networks related to Cooperation and Sustainable Development

UIC Barcelona has two institutes, the Institute for Advanced Family Studies (IESF) and the Institute for Research in Evaluation and Public Policies (IRAPP). They are actively involved in the development and improvement of policies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of health, family and education.

The Institute for Advanced Family Studies is the first institute of its kind in Spain at university level, and its actions and activities are primarily concerned with family policies.

Family policies are a major subject of study throughout Europe, where countries have prestigious research institutes and bodies in this field, which have a strong influence on the definition of family policies at local, national and international level. Thus, the IESF covers a need required by social partners (public administrations, trade unions, companies, associations and NGOs) who find that the work of the Institute provides a rigorous collaboration with scientific and interdisciplinary support for the development of policies that affect families.

The Research Institute for Evaluation and Public Policies (IRAPP) undertakes research into informed decision-making, both in the area of health and education, basic cornerstones of our welfare state. Our main objective is to improve individual decisions in the areas of health and education by undertaking multidisciplinary research. We offer a multidisciplinary intellectual space to bring together economists, healthcare professionals, mathematicians, statisticians, researchers, etc. to promote shared perspectives. From here, cooperation grows, leading to new ideas to achieve a more efficient and equal world. We believe that economics is a powerful tool to understand the world. We want to be innovative academics who apply economic analysis to the social and political challenges of our society.

The Universitat Internacional de Catalunya has the Joaquim Molins Figueras Chair of Child Care and Family Policies, created thanks to the support of the Joaquim Molins Figueras Foundation.

The objective of this new chair, which is part of the Institute of Advanced Family Studies (IESF) of the University, is to promote activities and research projects in the field of child care and family policies. It plays a crucial role in formulating strategies to improve public policies. Its focus on poverty eradication and the promotion of intergenerational solidarity contributes to the design of policies that promote equity and social inclusion, in line with the SDGs. The objective of this chair is to create a meeting point between various social agents to address the key issues of today related to children.

The current situation of minors within a context of profound changes in the family, in education and in technology requires specific attention to the causes of problems in this field from the perspective of research, training, the development of citizenship and support for the family.

For this reason, and from the perspective of providing a service to society, this Chair aims to be a meeting point between the different social agents – family, school, public care services, media and society – to address the key issues of today.

Under the title “University and Society,” the Fifth International Meeting of Universia Rectors became a space for three days of discussion in which attendees talked about keys that will once again turn the university into an engine of progress for society and sustainable growth.

UIC Barcelona is dedicated to promoting good practices around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through various initiatives and international collaborations. Below are some of the main activities we have carried out:

UIC Barcelona is firmly committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim for sustainable development for humanity and align with our institutional values. This commitment is reflected in our ongoing efforts to participate in the collection and measurement of data for the SDGs at the international level. Some of the most prominent examples are:

University Impact Ranking de 2024 del Times Higher Education (THE)

UIC Barcelona has been classified for the first time with the Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender equality, scoring 71.1 out of 100. Globally, we are ranked 56 out of 1.361 universities, and nationally, we are in 3rd place out of 44 universities. Among Catalan private universities, we are ranked 1st out of 7 universities. This achievement reflects our commitment to promoting gender equality and our ability to compete internationally in implementing the SDGs.

GreenMetric

The UIC GreenMetric World University Ranking on Sustainability is an initiative of the University of Indonesia, which was first carried out in 2010 and evaluates the policy and performance of the university based on six categories; Setting and Infrastructure (SI), Energy and Climate Change (EC), Waste (WS), Water (WR), Transportation (TR) and Education and Research (ED) and respond to the SDG Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, to measure the sustainability efforts of the campuses. The intention was to create an online survey to describe sustainability policies and programmes for universities around the world.

Since our first participation in 2020, UIC Barcelona has risen 41 positions, ranking 260 out of 1,183 universities worldwide. At the national level, we have climbed three positions, reaching 13th place out of 29 universities. In four years, we have improved significantly, moving from position 589 to 260.