The SDSN serves as a significant platform for UMP to strengthen its focus on the Just Energy Transition (JET) and to engage actively in the SDSN’s programme to build educators’ capacity in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This partnership aligns seamlessly with UMP’s commitment to sustainability and its regional and international impact.
Speaking during the launch, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, Professor Aldo Stroebel, said becoming a member of the SDSN is an invitation for a young university that is rapidly developing an extraordinary research and scholarly trajectory to engage intellectually, academically, and strategically.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, Professor Aldo Stroebel.
“UMP is now in a position to share knowledge, build capacity, foster highly strategic collaborations, and implement policy changes that contribute meaningfully to the sustainability debate,” he said.
Professor Stroebel further highlighted UMP’s achievements in sustainability and mentioned that the membership will allow UMP to contribute actively to SDGs by focusing on three pillars: People, Planet, and Prosperity.
“From a business model and infrastructure perspective, sustainability is central to UMP’s vision. A recent survey showed our contributions to SDGs, including critical areas such as SDG 17: Partnerships, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 4: Quality Education.”
Ms Priscilla Morley, SDSN Network Manager for South Africa.
UMP Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso, further mentioned that the SDSN membership will provide the University with opportunities to access global expertise, networking, collaboration, and new funding avenues:
“We strongly believe that knowledge and skills are key assets to deepen the quality and scope of democratic life. This partnership enables us to position UMP as a key player in sustainable development.
As an African University rooted in the Mpumalanga province, we are responsive to socio-economic and geographic contexts while actively engaging on a global scale. Our Vision 2030 is to lead in creating sustainable development through innovation, and our SDSN membership is perfectly aligned with that mission,” she said.
Providing further context, Ms Priscilla Morley, SDSN Network Manager for South Africa, mentioned that the organisation promotes integrated approaches to implement the SDGs, National Development Plan, and Agenda 2063 through four pillars: education, research, policy analysis, and global cooperation.
“Together with UMP, we can address urgent challenges such as climate change, inequality, and natural resource depletion by fostering global partnerships and empowering students and faculty to become architects of a fair, resilient, and sustainable future,” she said.
Highlighting the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for innovative and inclusive solutions was distinguished Professor Coleen Vogel from the Global Change Institute at Wits University. She also noted the critical role that youth can play in developing transformative solutions and urged UMP students to be at the forefront of this mission.
“Today’s youth have the passion and drive to lead in creating a sustainable and caring planet. A systems approach is essential to bring about real change in climate action, with universities and communities working together.
Professor Coleen Vogel from the Global Change Institute at Wits University.
The University of Mpumalanga’s membership in SDSN signifies a powerful step forward in its journey to address complex sustainability issues, engage in transformative research, and build a brighter, more sustainable future for all,” she said.
Being a member of the SDSN, the University of Mpumalanga joins over 1 900 institutions worldwide. The institution is now part of an extraordinary international network that mobilises academic, policy, and development resources to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.
Story by Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures by JB Creative Cinema.