1. Bedrich Moldan Charles University Environment Center
Universities and the Millennium Development Goals: Down from the Ivory Tower Education for Sustainable Future Prague, September 10, 2003
Bedrich Moldan
Charles University Environment Center

2. Millennium Development Goals
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development

3. Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger (1)
Targets:
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than $1 a day
Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

4. Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger (2)
Source: UNDP 2003

5. Goal 1: Poverty and Hunger (3)
Source: UNDP 2003

6. Challenges for Universities I: Poverty and Hunger
Oriented research
Definitions and causes of poverty
Economic, social and environmental context
Ways of combating hunger

7. Goal 2: Education (1) Targets:
Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling

8. Goal 2: Education (2)
Source: UNDP 2003

9. Goal 2: Education (3)
Source: UNDP 2003

10. Challenges for Universities II: Education
Teacher education
Innovative methods (formal, non-formal, informal education)
New technologies (including ICTs)

11. Goal 3: Gender Equality (1)
Targets:
Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and in all levels of education no later than 2015

12. Goal 3: Gender Equality (2)
Source: UNDP 2003

13. Challenges for Universities III: Gender Equality
Analysing and addressing root causes
Gender studies
Promoting women (science, university positions)

14. Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health (1) Targets:
Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality ratio
Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio
Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

15. Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health (2)
Source: UNDP 2003

16. Goal 4, 5, 6: Human Health (3)
Source: UNDP 2003

17. Challenges for Universities IV: Human Health
Shifting research priorities
Addressing emerging issues

18. Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability (1)
Targets:
Integrate the principle of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources
Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water
Have achieved, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers

19. Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability (2)
Source: UNDP 2003

20. Goal 7: Environmental Sustainability (3)
Source: UNDP 2003

21. Challenges for Universities V: Environmental Sustainability
More attention to urgent issues like WEHAB (water, energy, health, agriculture, biodiversity)
Urban issues

22. Goal 8: Global Partnership (1)
Targets:
Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, nondiscriminatory trading and financial system
Address the special needs of the least developed countries (e.g. debts problems)
Address the special needs of landlocked countries and small island developing states

23. Goal 8: Global Partnership (2)
Targets:
In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth
In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries
In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially ICTs

24. Goal 8: Global Partnership (3)
Source: UNDP 2003

25. Challenges for Universities VI: Global Partnership
Partnership in education and science in addition to the stated targets like trade, finance and new technologies
Focus on the least developed countries

26. Challenges for Universities VII: General Issues
Policy-relevant knowledge (e.g. indicators)
Place-based science
Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity
New contents of traditional disciplines

27. Conclusion
Millennium Development Goals represent a novel approach, a truly new “Global Deal“, in particular by setting quantitative targets for the development at the global level. The most important institutions, including intergovern-mental organizations and transnational corpo-rations, are taking challenges of the MDG very seriously. Universities should be in the fore-front of this world-wide effort.

28. Thank you for your attention