Partnerships and Engagement to Support the UN SDGs

UVic's POLIS Project prepared a response to the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change regarding their draft Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy recommending the government act with greater urgency to address high risks in watersheds. Read the letter here.

UVic submitted recommendations to the provincial government to help inform the priorities for Budget 2022 to ensure the next budget enables a strong and equitable recovery that leaves nobody behind and enables success in every corner of British Columbia. Read the recommendations here.

UVic’s Environmental Law Centre and the Justice and Corporate Accountability Project presented an amicus curiae brief to a court case in defense of the Marañón River and Kukama Indigenous peoples’ rights in the region of Loreto, Peru. Read the brief here.

UVic submitted a paper outlining five key investment recommendations to the government of Canada in advance of the 2022 Budget. Read the paper here.

A group of 24 scientists from across the world are exploring long-standing problems associated with narrow definitions of success and impact in science. In a paper published in PLOS Biology, they advocate shifting this outdated value system in order to advance science through principles of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Read more here.

The Seed Grants program is a UVic/ Ministry of Health partnership which provides funding for critical research that responds to the government’s research questions to support key decision making and policy development. Read more about the program and the impactful projects that were funded in the 2021/22 round here.

A campus guide was developed by UVic’s Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR) in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division to identify initiatives campus communities may take to minimize harm associated with substance use and to indicate how a health promotion orientation can enrich those efforts. Read the full guide here.

UVic formed a new partnership with Foresight to support the growth of the cleantech ecosystem and to accelerate the transition to an inclusive, net-zero future by helping ventures attract the capital they need to commercialize and scale-up. Read more here.

The Salish Sea Hub is one of 13 hubs in the world initiated by the international network Knowledge for Change which focusses on building community-based research capacity and action towards decolonization, racial and gender equality, and climate action. The Hub is a partnership between UVic, the Victoria Foundation and Victoria Native Friendship Centre. Read more here.

The Women Leading Change series highlights powerful voices leading change across industries in which women remain underrepresented. These events, organized by UVic and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of BC aim to help raise awareness around gender inequality and support positive action through dialogue and engagement. The first event took place in 2021 and focused on women leading change in STEM. Access the recording here.

The Victoria Forum is a partnership between UVic and the Senate of Canada which convenes evidence-based conversations and stimulates creative thinking to develop innovative ideas and actionable solutions to contemporary and urgent environmental, economic, and social challenges. Read more about the event series here.

Limiting climate change due to anthropogenic activities requires cross-sectoral, systemic, societal transformation. EnVision 2021 was the 6th conference hosted by UVic’s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems (IESVic). The goal of the conference was to accelerate energy system transformation through knowledge mobilization and relationship building. Read more here.

A project based at UVic’s Centre for Global Studies is exploring the changing nature of borders—real, remote and virtual. Borders in Globalization (B.I.G.) includes academic partners from Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and brings together nine intergovernmental and transnational organizations. Read more here.

Global Talks, hosted by UVic’s Centre for Global Studies, showcases presentations from researchers within the centre, the university more broadly, and invited guest speakers. All talks are now held remotely, to ensure maximum participation, and past talks are available to all on the website. Click here to access past talks.

SDSN Canada is part of a global network of knowledge institutions that support action-oriented research to help address some of the world’s most pressing problems. The global network is home to 35 national and regional SDSN networks and over 1,300 participating member institutions. UVic joined the network in 2021. Read more here.

UVic signed an agreement in 2021 to establish the first accredited CIFAL—International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders—on North America’s West Coast. CIFAL Victoria is connected to a global network of UN hubs that provide innovative training and promote the exchange of knowledge (including measuring and gathering data for the SDGs) amongst government officials, the private sector and civil society. CIFAL Victoria will deliver training activities and research for students, staff, faculty and the community that builds on UVic's deep commitments to the UN SDGs and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Read more here.

The UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme, which involves over 700 institutions in 116 countries, promotes international inter-university cooperation and networking to enhance institutional capacities through knowledge sharing and collaborative work. There are currently two UNESCO Co-chairs at UVic housed at the Centre for Global Studies. Read more here.