Kick-off meeting of the Edu4SDG project

It aims to accelerate higher education’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals by cultivating social responsibility and emotional intelligence and by training agents of change.

The first meeting of the partners of the EDU4SDG project, coordinated by the Łódź University of Technology, was held in Łódź, Poland, on 28-29 November.

The goal of #edu4sdgs is to accelerate higher education’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by cultivating social responsibility and emotional intelligence and by training agents of change. The #edu4sdgs is aimed at students, academic and administrative staff, heads of higher education institutions and people with an interest in lifelong learning who want to improve their skills in relation to the SDGs and emotional intelligence.

The project is funded by the European Commission (Erasmus+ Programme) and coordinated by the Łódź University of Technology (Poland) and will run from October 2023 to September 2026 in collaboration with the organisations Welfare and Development Association ABD (Spain), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona UAB (Spain), Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities ACEEU (Germany), Team Coaching (Poland) and RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATE (Latvia).

#edu4sdgs action plan

The main activities of the #edu4sdgs project will initially focus on the development of a new competency framework for micro-credentials, addressing the key areas of the SDGs and emotional intelligence. Simultaneously, work will be carried out on the development of the SDGs University Knowledge Hub, a central online platform that will gather and disseminate relevant knowledge on the SDGs, promoting the creation of a collaborative network.

Another highlight is the creation of a board game for adults designed as a resource to strengthen and develop emotional intelligence in relation to the SDGs. This initiative will seek an interactive and playful involvement to improve understanding of the goals and encourage active participation.

The project also includes training activities in the form of workshops and webinars, such as the workshop “Working with emotions” held during the first partners’ meeting in Poland and the training “Cooperation between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for the SDGs” to be held by ABD in Barcelona in September 2024.

The Summer School “EI = Social Responsibility” to be implemented in Riga in 2025 will emerge as an inclusive opportunity for students, academic and administrative staff, as well as representatives of partner organisations, to strengthen social responsibility through emotional education.

The development of a future practical roadmap for higher education institutions will be a key part of successfully implementing new educational components related to the SDGs.

Finally, dissemination activities, led by ABD, will include the creation of an #edu4sdgs video for social media, as well as a future closing conference in Poland that will provide a platform for the presentation of the project results and their integration with the academic community and beyond.

Impact and expected results

The #edu4sdgs project foresees a significant impact in the educational but also in the social and employment fields.

Increasing students’ engagement in SDG initiatives and developing their emotional intelligence (EI) will improve their personal and professional lives, with tangible benefits in the labour market.

In parallel, the capacity of academic staff and educational institutions and project participants will be strengthened, improving the quality and relevance of education, thus driving progress towards the SDGs. The integration of EI and the SDGs will also promote community and citizen participation in these initiatives.

At the international level, the project will strengthen the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) together with third social sector entities in promoting knowledge societies in Europe, fostering valuable exchanges of interest outside the EU. At the same time, greater global integration of micro-credentials in HEIs is expected, even in countries without specific policies for micro-credentials. This global dissemination will broaden the accessibility and positive influence of micro-credentials worldwide.