The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development shares a blueprint for peace and prosperity, but the Goals remain painfully out of reach. Recent work on Goal 17 emphasizes the need for transformational partnerships that catalyze multidimensional impacts through mobilizing systems including higher education. Moving beyond the role of convener, universities can integrate engagement through key drivers including research, teaching, innovation, and experiential learning. If actualized, such partnerships can benefit organizations addressing the SDGs within the most vulnerable communities and ecosystems, while also supporting institutional needs. This session explores the promise of multi-stakeholder partnerships through an evolving partnership supporting social innovation in rural Tanzania. Presenters will share a flexible framework for facilitating and assessing virtual and in-person engagement along with perspectives from key stakeholders including faculty, partners, students, and NGO leaders. This session will challenge us to embrace the promise of transformational engagement and re-imagine partnerships as pathways to our collective sustainability.
Panelists:
Mara Huber, Associate Dean and Director Experiential Learning Network, University at Buffalo
Dan Nyaronga, Professor of Psychology and Human Development, State University of New York
Kennedy Mahili, Executive Director, Community Life Amelioration, Tanzania
Christopher Romano, Assistant Professor Architecture, University at Buffalo