Josep Vilalta: Higher ed and the SDGs

The EAIE podcast turns its attention the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which together sketch out a vision for a world where good health, vibrant societies, and environmental stability prevail. Education, and specifically international higher education, sits at the nexus of a great deal of the work that may deliver results when it comes to making real progress against the SDGs.

In this episode, we are joined by Josep Vilalta, Director of the Global University Network for Innovation, or GUNi, as it’s commonly known. The GUNi network consists of higher education institutions, research centres and higher education organisations who all share a common commitment to ‘strengthen the role of higher education in society’, with a particular orientation toward public service, relevance and social responsibility. In fact, the SDGs are one of three core topics that the GUNi Network is focusing on in its current three-year cycle of research, engagement and knowledge development. So, if anyone has its finger on what the SDGs mean to international higher education and what higher education means to the SDGs then it is GUNi’s director.

About Josep Vilalta

Josep Vilalta is Executive Secretary of the Catalan Association of Public Universities as well as Director of the Global University Network for Innovation. A specialist in public management, public policies and in higher education management, Josep has more than 30 years of experience with leading roles at higher education institutions and public sector organisations. He has participated in various projects and served in a group of experts for the Government of Catalonia and the Government of Spain, the European Commission, the OECD, UNESCO and other public policy management projects.

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