Millennium Fellowship Class of 2026: Over 5,500 young leaders making the SDGs and ĢƵ Academic Impact Principles a reality
The Millennium Fellowship Class of 2026 brings together more than 5,500 undergraduate leaders from over 330 campuses in 60 countries and territories. Selected from a record 76,000 applicants, Fellows are advancing all 17 SDGs and the 10 ĢƵ Academic Impact Principles through projects spanning decent work, climate action, responsible consumption and health, while strengthening leadership, partnerships and community impact.
GHES II Calls for Collective Action with Launch of Higher Education Consensus Statement
The second Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES II), held during the 2026 High-Level Political Forum, launched a new Consensus Statement positioning higher education as a key partner in sustainable development. Leaders from academia, the ĢƵ, civil society, youth and the private sector called for stronger collaboration, academic freedom, inclusive knowledge systems, responsible innovation and coordinated action to advance the SDGs and shape the post-2030 agenda.
Global Higher Education Symposium 2026 Launches Landmark Consensus Statement
On 13 July 2026, the Global Higher Education Symposium reached a major milestone with the launch of the Consensus Statement. The statement is available at the link below, with a full article on the event and its outcomes to be published shortly.
Learning with Rural Communities: Student Experiences in Darfur & Omdurman
Sudan faces the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with conflict driving mass displacement, collapsing services, and widespread violence. Despite this, Ahfad University for Women advances SDG 1 through community engagement. Student Buthaina Mamour Musa shares experiences in Darfur and rural Omdurman, highlighting youth volunteering, women’s leadership, and agriculture as inclusive, community-led solutions strengthening resilience in crisis-affected communities.
Universities Unite at ĢƵ Headquarters to Advance Sustainable Development Through Student-Led Innovation
Students and scholars gathered at the ĢƵ Dag Hammarskjöld Library to explore how universities can advance the SDGs through local action, institutional self-awareness, measurement and accountability. The workshop featured ĢƵ Academic Impact member institutions and highlighted peer learning, city partnerships, student leadership and adaptable tools for tracking progress.
Athens university expands local sustainability partnership
The Energy Policy and Development Centre (KEPA) of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), a ĢƵ Academic Impact member institution and ĢƵ Academic Impact SDG 7 Hub Co-Chair, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipality of Elefsina, Greece. The partnership will support tree planting, youth engagement and cooperation on Sustainable Development Goal 7, including energy poverty, circular economy, electromobility and hydrogen in transport.
From Japan to Kenya: ĢƵAI SDG 9 Hub Advances Youth Innovation Worldwide
Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT), ĢƵAI SDG 9 Hub Vice-Chair, hosted a series of events highlighting youth-led engineering and global collaboration, including a visit by ĢƵU Rector Dr. Tshilidzi Marwala and a hybrid SDG 9 Hub event featuring student innovations and international partners. Mount Kenya University (MKU), ĢƵAI SDG 9 Hub Chair, complemented these efforts through a global webinar, bringing together partners to strengthen collaboration and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Koya University Wins Prestigious Athar Award for Environmental Initiatives
, a ĢƵAI member institution in Iraq, has won the Athar Award for environmental sustainability, ranking first in the Kurdistan Region and among Iraq’s top universities. Its initiatives in waste reduction, energy efficiency, and environmental education reflect a strong commitment to building a “Green University.”
Announcement: 2025 ĢƵ Academic Impact Annual Activity Report Submission
ĢƵ Academic Impact member institutions are invited to submit their 2025 ĢƵ Academic Impact Annual Activity Report through the online form:
2025 ĢƵAI Activity Report | United Nations
Submitting the annual activity report is mandatory to maintain ĢƵ Academic Impact membership. The deadline for submission is 30 April 2026.
United Nations Intensive Summer Programme: Shaping Global Leaders Through Immersive ĢƵ Engagement
The 2026 will be held from 8 to 12 June near ĢƵ Headquarters in New York City. , a ĢƵAI member institution in the United States, delivers the one-week course through its in collaboration with the (ĢƵA-USA). The programme provides participants with a genuine immersion in the dynamics of the United Nations, featuring a series of off-the-record conversations with ĢƵ practitioners and representatives of government and civil society. Applications close on 1 April 2026.
Commitment to the Future: Unesulbahia Aligns Academic Training with the SDGs in Community Health Campaign
A partnership between ĢƵAI member institution , the Vida Mais Association, and the Municipality of Porto Seguro in the state of Bahia, Brazil, is delivering specialized health services to the district of Trancoso, aligning higher education initiatives with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing community well-being.
Advancing SDG 15: Biodiversity and Health at Washington University in St. Louis
The first annual convening of WashU Public Health’s Solutions through Planetary Health Research (SPHERE) network brought SDG 15: Life on Land to the forefront, highlighting how protecting and restoring ecosystems is critical to reducing infectious disease risks in a changing environment. The event underscored the need for coordinated, multisectoral collaborations that safeguard biodiversity and strengthen planetary health.
Reflections from the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum Virtual Side Event: Partnerships with Academia as an Accelerator for Local Innovation and Sustainable Communities
How can universities turn the SDGs into real-world change? Ahead of the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum, higher education leaders, students and ĢƵ partners explored trust-based, place-driven partnerships advancing SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17. From local innovation to global education networks and student leadership, the discussion shows why higher education is a vital civic partner—and why partnerships, not promises, will drive SDG progress.
Modern Slavery in Focus: Dialogue and Research
The in New Zealand hosted a panel of experts to address modern slavery and child labour. The event highlighted the need for New Zealand legislation, business accountability, victim support, and immigration reform. Initiatives such as the Chocolate Scorecard promote collaboration and remediation. Research from the Centre for Research on Modern Slavery underscores the exploitation of migrant workers, while media coverage amplified calls for stronger research and global supply chain accountability.
EcoSynergy: Phase-Out Plastic Campaign Launches at the National University of Sciences and Technology
On 8 December 2025, the (NUST), serving as the ĢƵAI Global Hub Chair for Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), launched EcoSynergy, a campus-wide initiative aimed at phasing out single-use plastics and promoting responsible consumption.