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Cross-Sectoral Dialogue about SDGs

The university hosts conferences, events and podcasts aimed at general audiences, such as its annual McMaster Global event, which in 2020 featured the chief of the United Nations Academic Impact on the role universities play in advancing the UN SDGs, and its Global Health Collective podcast focusing on people helping meet the UN SDGs. McMaster’s Global Health Office runs an annual symposium that focuses on the SDGs with international partner universities. 

Events involving government & NGO PARTNERS

Panellists from institutions around the world joined in conversation around how HEIs can advance the global goals. Throughout the discussion, panellists came back to the importance of SDG 4 (Quality Education) as key enabler of all the other SDGs. In the context of internationalization in higher education, the panel agreed that higher education institutions can promote and advance SDG 4 to the benefit of all other goals. Panellists hosted by McMaster for this discussion:  

  • Charles Hopkins UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, York University 
  • Dr. Andrea Baumann Associate Vice-President, Global Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University 
  • Meghna Ramaswamy Director of the International Office, University of Saskatchewan 
  • Omar Hernández Public Information Officer, United Nations Academic Impact 
  • Monika Froehler CEO, Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens 

COP27 and zero-waste

Engineering student Paris Liu, co-president of Zero Waste McMaster, travelled to Egypt for COP27 in her role as observer where she had opportunities to develop position papers and make formal submissions, hold bilaterals with government delegates to advocate for climate action.

Conferences bringing together government, NGO voices

Global Health Symposium

The 2022 Global Health Symposium National Coordinating Centre of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) an annual event, brings together more than 300 students and faculty from McMaster and its international partner universities, to work together in teams, gaining hands-on experience in primary health care, participating in field visits and expert lectures. Students present thesis research for feedback from global health experts on topics in categories such as health systems and infectious diseases. Because of COVID-19, the symposium has been held online for three years.

Simulating a scientific conference experience, students will formally present their thesis research proposals and scholarly paper abstracts and receive critical feedback from peers and faculty.  Student presentations have been divided thematically using the SDGs and topics that range from migrant and refugee health, mental health, Indigenous health, and the COVID-19 pandemic.  This year, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 10 (Reducing Inequalities) were among the top themes.

Symposium focuses on global crisis of drug-resistant infections

Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem that kills more than 1 million people every year. McMaster University hosted an interdisciplinary symposium where scientists, public health experts, legal and business leaders shared research and held discussions on the systemic issues like poor sanitation, lack of medical care, poor antibiotic stewardship, and overcrowded housing that contribute to increases in drug-resistant infections.

Symposium: An aging world and infectious disease threats

Aging experts in everything from immunity to vaccination and mental health to social isolation gathered at a symposium hosted by McMaster’s Institute for Research on Aging and the Global Nexus School for Pandemic Prevention & Response.  The two-day MIRA Knowledge Exchange included a free public talk and the conversations were captured in an illustration.

Symposium: Anti-Racism in Athletics and Recreation

The Department of Athletics & Recreation at McMaster University welcomed colleagues from across Ontario to campus last week as it hosted its first Anti-Racism Symposium, Future Directions in Anti-Racism. The event, which was attended by close to 100 administrators, coaches, support staff, student-athletes and professional sport organizations, provided sessions dedicated to sharing emerging and established anti-racism initiatives and best practices in the areas of education, recruitment, support, and accountability.

Universitas 21 (U21) 

As a member of Universitas 21 (U21), McMaster University participates in a leading global network of research-intensive universities that empowers its members to share excellence, collaborate across borders and nurture global knowledge exchange around the SDGs.   

Committed to promoting the value of internationalization and multinational collaboration, U21 facilitates the delivery of programs, activities and initiatives which could not be delivered through a single university or via bi-lateral agreements.  

McMaster’s Global Health Office is an active member of the Universitas 21 Health Sciences Group’s UN Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, which connects member universities that provide health professional training in education and actions of the SDGs. We continue to work with U21 on ways to mobilize our students and encourage student-led activities including UN SDG Awareness Week.  

McMaster also participated in the U21 SDG Forum, sharing the ways in which the SDGs are being aligned with the Health Sciences curriculum.   

UN75 Dialogue 

As part of the United Nations’ 75th anniversary, the UN Secretary General António Guterres called upon the international community to unite and discuss ways to build a better future for the youth of tomorrow through unity and solidarity. In response to this call, the Global Health Office, in collaboration with the Office of International Affairs and the McMaster Model for United Nations, we hosted a UN75 Dialogue “Investing in Health for an Equitable Future” based on UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 3: good health and well-being. 

Magna Charta Observatory 

In October 2019, McMaster University hosted the annual meeting of the Magna Charta Observatory, convening university leaders from 35 countries. The meeting marked the first time the event was held outside of Europe. The key themes of the conference were sustainability and the social responsibilities of universities. 

More than 900 institutions are now signatories to the Magna Charta Universitatum, a document that lays out the fundamental values and principles guiding universities internationally, which marked its 31st anniversary at the McMaster University conference. 

Educational series highlighting expertise of public sector partners

The Arctic: A Global Health Perspective  

Despite documented health disparities between the circumpolar north and other regions, the Arctic remains an underrepresented area in global health research, which the Global Health Office has been eager to explore. The Arctic: A Global Health Perspective series offered a transdisciplinary look at key global health challenges and opportunities in the High North.  The 10-part webinar series, featuring academics and specialists that covers topics including Arctic governance, climate change, Covid-19, food security, migration, Indigenous rights and more.  

Global Health Podcast 

Current global health challenges are multiple and complex, from the rising burden of disease to the climate crisis to health disparities. The Global Health Collective was a limited-edition podcast series based on the UN SDGs and explores some of these issues and the research and work being done in response. With strategic support provided by the Global Health Office and a focus on the SDGs, the podcast invites students, faculty, staff, and global health changemakers from the broader community to share their stories about the differences they’re making towards meeting the global goals. 

Projects or research studies WITH government & NON-PROFIT PARTNERS

Shock-proofing for non-profit managers  

The project is one of 65 initiatives that are part of the Future Skills Centre’s “Shock-proofing the Future of Work” program, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage the creation of partnerships that will promote resilience in the face of potential future disruptions.  

Led by Brent McKnight, an associate professor in the DeGroote School of Business, and Sandra Lapointe, a professor in the Faculty of Humanities, the project aims to create new pathways to allow different sectors to learn from and work with each other. 

Building resilience in the face of COVID-19  

COVID-19 has stressed small businesses and non-profit organizations in immeasurable ways, forcing already struggling sectors to pivot and adapt again and again as the situation — and the virus itself — changed.   

For some, there is no recovering from the disruption of the pandemic. Others will find a way to revert to old ways of doing things. And still others will adopt new approaches and practices.  

Brent McKnight is examining how both those sectors — main street and non-profit — are navigating the pandemic and its eventual aftermath: How do they build a new normal? What does that look like, and who shapes it? He hopes to use his research to inform the post-pandemic recovery and build resilience in both sectors. 

Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and McMaster Institute for Research on Aging 

McMaster University hosts the National Coordinating Centre of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), which is collaborating with the World Health Organization to support the WHO Baseline Report for the Decade of Healthy Aging 2020-2030. The CLSA is considered by the WHO to be the most comprehensive platform available in the world to address several objectives of this baseline report. 

The CLSA and the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging have also established a collaborative partnership with Metabolon, Inc. and the Canadian Frailty Network to develop a $4-million research program to uncover reasons for frailty in aging populations. 

The CLSA is also contributing to the Canadian Dementia Strategy by collaborating with the Public Health Agency of Canada to establish CLSA as a population-based brain health and dementia platform for Canada. 

Global Water Futures 

Researchers at McMaster University are playing a key role in the Global Water Futures project, a collaboration to transform the way communities, governments, and industries in Canada and other cold regions of the world prepare for and manage increasing water-related threats. 

Global Water Futures is the largest university-led water research program ever funded worldwide. The seven-year research program is funded in part by a $77.8-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. In October 2020, five McMaster projects were awarded a further $2.4-million by Global Water Futures. 

In one of the projects, McMaster researchers are working with First Nations community members to identify sources of contamination in drinking water sources and local aquatic ecosystems. 

Networks connecting McMaster with public sector leadership

Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada 

The McMaster Health Forum is part of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Canada, which mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development. SDSN members work together across the globe to support action-oriented research to address the SDGs. 

We plan to share what we learn from SDSN activities with our fellow Partners for Evidence-driven Rapid Learning in Social Systems (PERLSS) in our effort to support the achievement of the non-health SDGs using best evidence, citizen values and stakeholder insights in 13 other countries around the globe. 

The McMaster Health Forum’s efforts include bringing synthesized research evidence from its Health Systems Evidence and Social Systems Evidence databases to network activities involving policymakers and other leaders. 

Combating Climate Change 

Mission Innovation is a global initiative of 22 countries to dramatically accelerate global clean energy innovation, as identified in the SDGs, by driving research and development in key areas, such as sustainable biofuels, smart grids, off-grid access, carbon capture, and clean energy materials. 

In 2018, McMaster University hosted the organization’s Clean Energy Materials Innovation Challenge Workshop, the second in a series of international meetings. Participants included McMaster’s Faculty of Engineering, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Natural Resources Canada, and experts from Mexico and the United States. 

Hamilton Anchor Institution Leadership 

McMaster University is a founding partner of the Hamilton Anchor Institution Leadership (HAIL) initiative. HAIL brings together a cross-section of institutional and private sector leaders to address pressing challenges in Hamilton, such as poverty, environment, and regional economic development. 

The initiative includes the City of Hamilton, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton Health Sciences, the Local Health Integration Network, the local school boards, Hamilton Police Services, Mohawk College, Chamber of Commerce, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, and the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction. 

HAIL exemplifies the partnerships envisioned by the Postsecondary Principles of Cooperation, signed by Hamilton’s three postsecondary institutions with the City of Hamilton in 2016 and again in 2019 — to promote access to education, retention of local talent, and mutual cooperation for the benefit of all citizens and the broader society.