Universities and the Universities and the Millennium Development Millennium Development

Goals: Down from the Ivory Goals: Down from the Ivory TowerTower

Education for Sustainable FutureEducation for Sustainable FuturePrague, September 10, 2003Prague, September 10, 2003

Bedrich MoldanBedrich Moldan

Charles University Environment Charles University Environment CenterCenter

Millennium Development Goals

1.1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerEradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2.2. Achieve universal primary educationAchieve universal primary education

3.3. Promote gender equality and empower Promote gender equality and empower womenwomen

4.4. Reduce child mortalityReduce child mortality

5.5. Improve maternal healthImprove maternal health

6.6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseasesCombat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7.7. Ensure environmental sustainabilityEnsure environmental sustainability

8.8. Develop a global partnership for developmentDevelop a global partnership for development

Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger (1)(1)

Targets:Targets:

• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income proportion of people whose income is less than is less than $$1 a day1 a day

• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from proportion of people who suffer from hungerhunger

Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger (2)(2)

Source: UNDP 2003

Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger (3)(3)

Source: UNDP 2003

Challenges for Challenges for Universities I: Poverty and Universities I: Poverty and

HungerHunger• Oriented researchOriented research• Definitions and causes of povertyDefinitions and causes of poverty• Economic, social and environmental Economic, social and environmental

contextcontext• Ways of combating hungerWays of combating hunger

Goal 2: Education (1)Goal 2: Education (1)

Targets:Targets:

• Ensure that, by 2015, children Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of be able to complete a full course of primary schoolingprimary schooling

Goal 2: Education (2)Goal 2: Education (2)

Source: UNDP 2003

Goal 2: Education (3)Goal 2: Education (3)

Source: UNDP 2003

Challenges for Challenges for Universities II: EducationUniversities II: Education

• Teacher educationTeacher education• Innovative methods (formal, non-Innovative methods (formal, non-

formal, informal education)formal, informal education)• New technologies (including ICTs)New technologies (including ICTs)

Goal 3: Gender Equality (1)Goal 3: Gender Equality (1)

Targets:Targets:

• Eliminate gender disparity in primary Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably and secondary education preferably by 2005 and in all levels of by 2005 and in all levels of education no later than 2015education no later than 2015

Goal 3: Gender Equality (2)Goal 3: Gender Equality (2)

Source: UNDP 2003

Challenges for Challenges for Universities III: Gender Universities III: Gender

EqualityEquality• Analysing and addressing root Analysing and addressing root

causescauses• Gender studiesGender studies• Promoting women (science, Promoting women (science,

university positions)university positions)

Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health (1)(1)

Targets:Targets:• Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and

2015, the under-five mortality ratio2015, the under-five mortality ratio• Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990

and 2015, the maternal mortality ratioand 2015, the maternal mortality ratio• Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse

the spread of HIV/AIDSthe spread of HIV/AIDS• Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse

the incidence of malaria and other major the incidence of malaria and other major diseasesdiseases

Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health (2)(2)

Source: UNDP 2003

Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health (3)(3)

Source: UNDP 2003

Challenges for Challenges for Universities IV: Human Universities IV: Human

HealthHealth• Shifting research prioritiesShifting research priorities• Addressing emerging issuesAddressing emerging issues

Goal 7: Environmental Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability (1)Sustainability (1)

Targets:Targets:• Integrate the principle of sustainable Integrate the principle of sustainable

development into country policies and development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of programs and reverse the loss of environmental resourcesenvironmental resources

• Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe without sustainable access to safe drinking waterdrinking water

• Have achieved, by 2020, a significant Have achieved, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellersmillion slum dwellers

Goal 7: Environmental Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability (2)Sustainability (2)

Source: UNDP 2003

Goal 7: Environmental Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability (3)Sustainability (3)

Source: UNDP 2003

Challenges for Challenges for Universities V: Universities V: Environmental Environmental SustainabilitySustainability

• More attention to urgent issues like More attention to urgent issues like WEHAB (water, energy, health, WEHAB (water, energy, health, agriculture, biodiversity)agriculture, biodiversity)

• Urban issuesUrban issues

Goal 8: Global Partnership Goal 8: Global Partnership (1)(1)

Targets:Targets:

• Develop further an open, rule-based, Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and financial systemfinancial system

• Address the special needs of the least Address the special needs of the least developed countries (e.g. debts problems)developed countries (e.g. debts problems)

• Address the special needs of landlocked Address the special needs of landlocked countries and small island developing countries and small island developing statesstates

Goal 8: Global Partnership Goal 8: Global Partnership (2)(2)

Targets:Targets:• In cooperation with developing countries, In cooperation with developing countries,

develop and implement strategies for develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youthdecent and productive work for youth

• In cooperation with pharmaceutical In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countriesessential drugs in developing countries

• In cooperation with the private sector, In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new make available the benefits of new technologies, especially ICTs technologies, especially ICTs

Goal 8: Global Partnership Goal 8: Global Partnership (3)(3)

Source: UNDP 2003

Challenges for Challenges for Universities VI: Global Universities VI: Global

PartnershipPartnership• Partnership in education and science Partnership in education and science

in addition to the stated targets like in addition to the stated targets like trade, finance and new technologiestrade, finance and new technologies

• Focus on the least developed Focus on the least developed countriescountries

Challenges for Challenges for Universities VII: General Universities VII: General

IssuesIssues• Policy-relevant knowledge Policy-relevant knowledge

(e.g. indicators)(e.g. indicators)• Place-based sciencePlace-based science• Interdisciplinarity and Interdisciplinarity and

transdisciplinaritytransdisciplinarity• New contents of traditional New contents of traditional

disciplinesdisciplines

ConclusionConclusion

Millennium Development Goals represent Millennium Development Goals represent a novel approach, a truly new “Global a novel approach, a truly new “Global Deal“, in particular by setting Deal“, in particular by setting quantitative targets for the development quantitative targets for the development at the global level. The most important at the global level. The most important institutions, including intergovern-mental institutions, including intergovern-mental organizations and transnational corpo-organizations and transnational corpo-rations, are taking challenges of the MDG rations, are taking challenges of the MDG very seriously. Universities should be in very seriously. Universities should be in the fore-front of this world-wide effort.the fore-front of this world-wide effort.

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention