‘The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Science and the Social Sciences: Engaging the Wider Community’

 Lunchtime Seminar Series hosted by the Centre for Global Development with guest speakers each week. 

THEME: ‘The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Science and the Social Sciences: Engaging the Wider Community’

Every Tuesday for 1pm-2pm.

Link to the seminar here

Special CGD Lunchtime Seminar December 14th 2021

World renowned US virology scientist Dr. Robert C. Gallo will give a talk entitled “Lessons and ideas from the two Recent Pandemics - HIV/AIDS and SARS-CoV-2/CoVID-19 – How We Can and Must Do Better”

He will discuss where we stand today in the science of HIV - our advances, limits and new goals, and turn to CoVID-19 - the problems with therapy, the efficacious vaccines but also their limits and the great need for their global distribution.

CGD Lunchtime Sessions in 2021 

Session 1: 16/02/21

Dr Christine Gaffney, Dr Caitríona Ní Laoire and Prof Carol Linehan

Topic: "Embedding the gender dimension in Horizon 2020 funded research - lessons and learning from the RRING project"

Session 2: 23/02/21

Dr. Margo O'Sullivan

View recording here.

Topic: "Education Aid - Reflections from the Field"

Education Aid is estimated at $1.2 trillion (The Learning Generation, 2018). Yet, the Learning Generation forecasting highlighted that just to reach the SDG learning target by 2030, 3trillion is required. Is additional education aid needed, and if so, where, and how should education aid funding be invested to best achieve results, in particular, improved quality and learning outcomes for all? What works and What does not Work for Education Aid? In particular, what works and does not work for Education Aid in low-income countries? This seminar will use relevant research and the literature to explore these questions - through the lens of Dr Margo O'Sullivan's experience in education and development - especially, her decade long work as Head of Education for two of UNICEF’s largest education programmes globally and her current work as CEO and founder of Power Teachers.

Session 3: 2/03/21

Dr. John Barimo

Topic: "A Dynamic Framework for Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals across the Curricula"

Integration of SDGs across university wide curricula, in most cases, appears compartmentalized and lacking transdisciplinary perspective.  UCC is reorienting curricula towards sustainability as priority number 1 of its Academic Strategy (2018-2022) which calls for the explicit integration of SDGs and involves not just transmitting knowledge about sustainability, but cultivating the mindset required for teaching staff to guide and equip students to address the critical challenges underpinning sustainable development.  This presentation showcases a dynamic framework highlighting where spaces exist in curricula to integrate SDGs by focusing on action-oriented outcomes. The project aims to provide equal access to ESD, often limited through the informal curriculum, to foster the development of globally minded and action-oriented citizens who are empowered to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.  Participants will unpack the SDG toolkit which sits under this framework and consider the potential implementation of the teaching resources in their educational context. 

Details on the SDG Toolkit Workshop here.

Session 4: 9/03/21

Dr. Rosarii Griffin 

Topic: "Introduction to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Education as a Humanitarian Response"

This seminar will give an overview of the origins of how the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) morphed into the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs), and how these SDGs have come to frame global sustainable development worldwide. The seminar will show how education is a humanitarian response in addressing issues of poverty, health, environmental concerns and human rights. However, education in and of itself is not a panacea for all of societies' ills. Drawing on theoretical frameworks in education, psychology and business, education is proven to be a powerful tool to address some of the world's most critical problems, as framed through and by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This seminar will explore how education is considered to be a humanitarian response which can ensure and secure sustainable development, and how education can ultimately be effective in tackling poverty. 

View recording here.

Session 5: 17/03/21

Breda Gahan (RGN, MPH)

Topic: "Impact of Covid-19 on Concern Worldwide 'Health and HIV Programmes' in 2020"

Will present top level findings on the impact of COVID-19 on Health from Alliance 2015, of which Concern is a member https://www.alliance2015.org/   This is a combined research of the 8 member organisations. The simultaneous surveys were conducted in 23 countries during Oct-Nov. 2020. Will then present on protecting Concern and Partner staff firstly, and on what we have changed up to now in our work to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. Looking ahead, what we need to focus on in 2021, health system strengthening efforts, and supporting towards UHC and SDG3 delivery.

Session 6: 23/03/21

Dr Griphin Baxter Chirambo

Topic: "Acceptability and sustainability of using mHealth technologies in the management of childhood illnesses in the rural communities of Malawi" 

Preventable diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea constitute a major threat to the health and wellbeing of under-five children particularly in the Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). Malawi is one of the countries where a lot of under-five children die of these preventable diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the acceptability and sustainability of using mHealth decision support tools and mHealth technologies in the rural areas of the selected northern districts of Malawi. The study was nested in a clinical trial where three study designs or approaches were used. We used stepped wedged design cluster randomised trial and mixed methods approach. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select study participants. The study was conducted in Rumphi, Nkhatabay and Mzimba North districts of Malawi. There was increase in confidence of those using the mHealth app, reduction in consultation time, guiding in giving accurate diagnosis and thereby accurate treatment recommendation.  

Session 7: 30/03/21

Barbara Doyle 

Topic: "Improving Food Crops in the context of addressing SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)"

To achieve sustainable agricultural practices, holistic and integrated approaches must be pursued.  There is no one size fits all.  This talk will explore practices from a national and international perspective. Whilst the emphasis is on SDG2 (Zero hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate action), there is the recognition of the interlinkages with other goals including promoting gender equality, good health and wellbeing and ending rural poverty.  

Session 7: 13/04/21

Ted O'Sullivan 

Topic: "Micro-credit and Development: A VSLA Project in Uganda"