We were pleased to co-host our most recent SDGs Localization Community of Practice session on Academic Partnerships for the SDGs on February 22nd, 2022. The event featured a great discussion from academic and municipal leaders on their experiences developing and nurturing these collaborative relationships.
The event included the following guest speakers:
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Moderator: Dr. Ian Rowlands - Associate Vice-President, International, University of Waterloo
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Dr. Rebecca Schiff - Professor and Chair, Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University
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Ana Flavia Cardoso Alves - Director of the Project Office, Urban Quality of Life, Québec City
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Twyla Yobb - Watershed Protection Manager, City of Saskatoon
Insights from the discussion:
- There are many benefits for governments and organizations partnering with academic institutions, such as enhanced credibility, ability to attract talent, access to data, and science-based decision-making. Academic institutions also benefit greatly, including by applying their research to support the community.
- Academic-community partnerships are not without challenges; a key one is finding the right balance between theory and practice. Academics and practitioners often operate with different timelines and objectives, with academics under pressure to publish, obtain grants and speak at conferences – all of which can be a barrier to community work – and with practitioners needing to achieve results quickly.
- Looking ahead, measuring impact and ensuring accountability (to stakeholders, governance bodies, etc.) and integration (across partners, sectors, and SDGs) will be dominant themes. Another component will be partnering with Indigenous communities on the SDGs and looking at how the goals can be linked to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- Some advice for those looking to form academic partnerships: start early, as relationship-building can take time, continue the conversation even if you aren’t engaged in an active project, try to see things from your partners’ perspective, secure buy-in from leadership, lean on municipal peer groups, and ensure that the data that you're using to inform your work is relevant to the community context.
Our next call will be onMarch 29th, 2022 from 1-2 pm ETwhere we will explore the role of data and indicators in localizing the SDGs.
This workshop is part of the SDGs Localization Community of Practice co-founded by SDSN Canada and the Tamarack Institute. This community is free to join and works to facilitate peer-learning and resource sharing to accelerate the work of localizing the SDGs in Canada.