Health and Sustainability in Higher Education in the Global South

This report produced by Jack Ruane, MSc Student at University College London and endorsed by EAUC aims to present exemplary cases of HEIs in the global South working towards health and sustainability through four key areas: Leadership, Staff & Governance; Campus, Community & Operations; Partnerships, Society & Engagement; Learning, Research & Students. Previously, it was mistakenly believed there was a lack of engagement from HEIs in the global South with the 2030 agenda. However, this research shows that there is a wealth of action being taken towards the goals, and aims to foreground best practice from the global South so it can act as a model for the global North, in a reversal of the usual trend.

Due to the increasing calls for a One Health approach, in which planetary and human health are seen as interdependent and central to all the SDGS, this report showcases examples of HEIs working towards health and sustainability. Nine case studies from HEIs from Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions are included, and eight practices which can be implemented by other HEIs globally are identified: Health promoting and sustainable campuses; campuses as living laboratories; porosity with the local community; harness distance learning; value local and indigenous knowledge; partnership and collaboration; applied teaching and learning; demand-driven research.