Global challenges

Through our learning and teaching

Our education for sustainable development (ESD) approach focuses on real-world themes of student concern such as the cost of living, wellbeing, equalities, and the climate and ecological emergency.

Designed to enhance experience and employability, every student will develop key transferable skills and values that empowers our graduates with the individual and collective agency for wider-scale positive social change. 

We have embedded these skills and values into Brighton Graduate Attributes. Through the attributes, all students are supported to develop skills and qualities to enable them to become:

• a critical thinker
• engaged global citizen
• confident communicator
• inclusive collaborator
• resilient self-advocate
• solution-oriented innovator
• a creative and confident user of digital technologies.

Our staff and students across academic schools are working together to actively engage with the UN SDGs.

• Our School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering has advanced sustainable architecture practices.
• Our School of Business and Law embeds the SDGs in its professional practices and research activities.
• The School of Humanities and Social Science has introduced modules framed around specific SDGs.
• The School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences (formerly the School of Sport and Health Sciences) has committed to the Health Care Without Harm ‘Nurses Climate Challenge Europe’ and it takes a sustainable approach to practice in sport and healthcare.

And there are many more example from across our university community.

Following approval by our University Executive Board in 2021, the university’s Global Challenges programme has provided a strategic framework to integrate the themes and issues of the SDGs into our teaching and learning, research and knowledge exchange practices. Our institutional approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) draws on the pedagogic approaches and strategic frameworks for sustainability teaching as developed by both UNESCO and QAA.

Formed of professional services departments, education and student experience staff, and research leadership representatives, the Global Challenges Steering Group was established to integrate the SDGs within our teaching, research and knowledge exchange. The Steering Group has developed and coordinated an institutional wide approach to ESD, making available support to staff across the university and encouraging further professional development in ESD.

Our university actively creates space for open dialogue and collaboration around ESD and the SDGs. This year the Global Challenges Research and Knowledge Exchange workshop enable academics to discuss how to deliver on a joint institutional approach to meeting the GC corporately through research and through community links. As well as sharing best practice for integrating research led teaching and ESD into the curriculum, ensuring ESD is embedded across all subjects and Schools.

Through our research and knowledge exchange

Our research makes a tangible difference to lives and environments, addressing global challenges and improving the world around us. Through our collaborations and partnerships, we share our insights, solve practical problems and shape debate around creating a better future.

We are committed to playing our part. Our contributions are numerous and varied. Our researchers are helping to reduce emissions and pollution, improve health and wellbeing, develop sustainable construction and design practices, advance inclusive art practice, promote peace in conflict-torn communities and tackle social injustice.

Find out more about our research with impact.

Through our public and community engagement

With an international reputation for our innovative approach to public and community engagement, we aim to address SDGs through our work – and inspire others to do so. We collaborate with our partners to tackle social disadvantage and inequalities and build sustainable communities.

Recent Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) results demonstrate our success in delivering diverse economic and social benefits with our partners. Our pioneering Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP) engages communities with research, combining knowledge and resources to address issues. Meanwhile our cultural institutions, including the nationally-accredited Design Archives, enable us to reach and galvanise new audiences.

Not only do we widen participation through our outreach work, we also support schools in challenged communities and take immense pride in our students for their volunteering, entrepreneurship and community project endeavours.

Together, we create new knowledge with our communities – and put it to work.

Through our campus operations and organisational culture

To be the change we wish to see, we must be authentic and demonstrate corporate social responsibility here at our university. Sustainability is embedded within all our campus operations and is central to our thinking.

In recognition of our commitment to sustainability, the University of Brighton is ranked within the top third of all UK universities and higher education institutions participating in the People & Planet University League. We have also been awarded EcoCampus Platinum Certification in recognition of our management of environmental issues. Our work here includes:

• A net zero campus strategy that addresses the climate and ecological emergency in our buildings by cutting carbon emissions, making student halls and educational buildings affordable, comfortable and efficient.
• Affordable, sustainable active transport solutions to make walking, cycling and public transport a better, healthier choice than the car.
• Ethical investment policies that avoid funding harmful industries and support human rights.
• Focus on healthy, lower-carbon, low waste menu choices. This also enables us to maximise reuse and recycling of vending and packaging materials. 

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all our activities.

The university was awarded a silver Athena Swan award in 2021 demonstrating our progress and impact in embedding gender equality across the institution. In 2019, we achieved a Race Equality Charter Bronze award, and are committed to improving representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students. We are a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion, a programme which supports and promotes fair practice in relation to the employment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff, reaffirming our commitment to equality for LGBT+ staff and students. We are a Disability Confident employer, which is a government scheme designed to support disability equality in staff recruitment and retention practices.

Additionally, the university has signed the non-disclosure agreement pledge from Can’t Buy My Silence, which is a campaign aimed at ending the misuse of non-disclosure agreements for those who have been subjected to sexual violence, harassment, or abuse.