The HESD portal and the IAU sustainability surveys

Since 1993, the International Association of Universities (IAU) advocates for the key role higher education plays in achieving sustainable development and the 2030 agenda. To this end, it has developed multiple resources and initiatives to assist higher education leaders wishing to embed sustainable development concepts and principles in strategic planning, academic and organizational work. This includes many free and open resources.

The IAU Global Cluster and the HESD portal

Launched in 2018, the Global Cluster on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) is a consortium of IAU member universities from all over the world, collaborating to promote a whole institution approach for institutions to embed sustainable development in their strategic planning, academic and organizational work. One university takes the lead in each one of the 17 SDGs.

In their dedicated website, the HESD portal, you can find multiple resources, including reports or actions linked to specific SDGs, guidelines, news, events, as well as hundreds of initiatives and good practices. Additionally, the HESD global database of universities allows you to find what actions each institution of the network is undertaking.

The HESD surveys

The IAU HESD global surveys, of which three have been already published since 2016, provide valuable data on the commitment and responsibilities of HEIs (over 400 from 120 countries in the 2022 survey) in their pursuit of the 2030 Agenda and the broader SDGs. The survey looked at partnerships, leadership and strategy for sustainable development and the relatively new concept of Climate Change Education (CCE). A recording of the 2023 launch presentation is available online.