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Public Lecture to Examine Co-operatives as Drivers of Sustainable Development
A public lecture exploring the role of co-operatives in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is set to take place at University College Cork on Wednesday, 30th April, from 2pm to 3pm in the O'Rahilly Building (Room ORB 145).
Dr. Francesca Gagliardi, Reader in Institutional Economics at Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire, will deliver the lecture, titled Co-operatives as Common Institutions for Sustainable Development. The event is hosted by the Centre for Co-operative Studies at UCC and all are welcome to attend.
In her presentation, Dr. Gagliardi will argue that while co-operatives are widely recognised as important vehicles for achieving the UN's 2030 Agenda, promoting democracy, fair income distribution, social inclusion, and environmental care — their strong focus on members and local communities can limit their national and international visibility. This, she will suggest, risks understating their potential contribution to the global sustainable development agenda.
The lecture will conceptualise co-operatives as commons institutions, drawing on the notions of institutional complementarities and polycentric governance to make the case that co-operatives can play a far more significant role in delivering on the SDGs than is commonly acknowledged.
Dr. Gagliardi is a leading voice in the field of comparative institutional economics, with a particular focus on social enterprises and co-operatives. Her research in this area has been recognised with the prestigious Horvat-Vanek Prize, awarded by the International Association for the Economics of Participation. She serves as an Executive Board Member and Co-Chair of the UK Society for Co-operative Studies, and is co-founder and current Treasurer of the World Interdisciplinary Network for Institutional Research.
The lecture is free and open to all. Those interested are encouraged to share details of the event widely..jpg)
Pictured: Dr. Francesca Gagliardi, from Hertfordshire Business School, University of Hertfordshire.