The teaching staff of KazNU listened to a Public Lecture on Sustainable Development by professor Tristan McCowan from the University College London

Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted a public lecture on the topic of the role of higher education institutions in the implementation of the UN sustainable development goals for faculty members and doctoral students.

The lecture was dedicated to the role of universities as a key element of development and emphasized the importance of their impact on society and the ecosphere through education, scientific research, and interaction with international organizations. During the lecture, trends and features of university activities in the context of implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN Agenda were discussed. Special attention was given to identifying commitments to achieve the 17 SDGs of the UN Agenda for 2024, using University College London as an example:

• every student has the opportunity to learn and be involved in sustainability;
• enhancing research efforts with a focus on the SDGs;
• achieving full carbon neutrality at the university by 2030;
• creating an eco-campus;
• reducing waste by 20% per person;
• creating 10,000 square meters of green space with biodiversity on campus.

It is worth noting that University College London is one of the top educational institutions globally, ranking 9th in the QS World University Rankings and 22^nd in Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Following the lecture, an open discussion session was held during which Professor McCowan proposed the inclusion of KazNU in the network of partners for the “GCRF Climate-U” project, which could strengthen the university’s contribution to global climate change mitigation efforts. In turn, the Director of Ban Ki-moon Institute for Sustainable Development, Zhansaya Issayeva, expressed readiness for cooperation and confirmed the intention to begin work on integrating the university into the project, which promises to implement measures for adapting universities to a changing climate and combating its negative consequences. The international project “GCRF Climate-U” (Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate) aims to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. The project actively supports universities in seven countries, including Brazil, Fiji, Kenya, India, and the United Kingdom, in working on local climate change initiatives.