Global Leaders Experience and Sustainability
Through the Global Leaders Experience we are enthusiastic about developing not only your employability and personal skills, but helping to weave in sustainability at all levels. We work with a wide range of partner organisations who embed sustainability and SDGs (Sustainability Development Goals) within their work and we are in a privileged position to share that with you! Check out the below SDGs that we support with our work for a little bit more information about each measure.
Sustainable Development Goals have been an excellent way for organisations to identify measures to address climate change and promote sustainability, but on a personal level it can be overwhelming to understand which skills and abilities you can develop to contribute to this important work. If this resonates with you, you may find it beneficial to explore the Inner Development Goals (IDG), a not-for-profit and open-source initiative created by the IDG foundation (a collection of 8 organisations worldwide) to explore 5 key areas of personal development; Being; Thinking; Relating; Collaborating; Acting. For more information please see here: https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/
Keep an eye out for an upcoming guide on participating in a Global Leaders Experience in an environmentally conscious way, full of great tips to support sustainability while travelling abroad!
For travel booking and purchases within the team, we adhere to the University of Exeter’s Sustainable Procurement Policy.
4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
Open to students who meet the Widening Participation criteria and funded by the University of Exeter's Access and Participation Plan, we are dedicated to closing the attainment gap and ensuring that a wide range of students have access to the knowledge and skills required to promote sustainable development, global citizenship and intercultural communication.
13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
Weave themes of climate change and justice throughout our programmes, gaining valuable insight from world leading organisations such as the United Nations and local governments to understand measures they are taking to reduce carbon emissions.
While we seek to expand our online portfolio of activity, we rely on international travel for our in-person immersive visits. Where possible we prioritise land-based train travel to reach our destinations and reduce our carbon footprint. In some cases, land-based travel is not possible, either due to availability of trains or distance of final location so flights may be used but we aim to offset carbon emissions by methods such as using public transport to/from the UK departure point and in the local destination. We are working on further measures to implement in future programmes and will update guidance accordingly. Since the inception of Global Leaders Experience in 2016, we have removed long haul flight travel to continents such as Northern America and Asia in favour of online experience in these areas.
17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
Our Global Leaders Experiences are facilitated by exceptional international partners who deliver a wide range of skill development and knowledge sharing. We pride ourselves on forging positive relationships to provide unique opportunities for students, focusing on themes such as the migration crisis in Tunisia with Taa Marbouta; SDG awareness, diplomatic skills and international relations knowledge with UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research); heritage conservation with Immersive Trails and supporting sustainable higher education and event management with EAIE (European Association for International Education).
In 2023 the University of Exeter signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UNITAR, committing to the development of innovative approaches to education and employability schemes across the institution.