A month of action and awareness

An annual call to action bringing together universities and colleges across the country is expanding to bring further awareness to the importance of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG Week Canada is now SDG Month Canada to encourage continued action and participation throughout the month of March, and Queen’s will be taking part for its third year.

is a nationwide campaign led by the , Colleges and Institutes Canada, and UBC’s Office of Sustainability. It sets the stage for universities and colleges across the country to strengthen their engagement with the SDGs. Community members are invited to participate in events hosted at their institution or learn more about initiatives around the country by attending . Last year, more than 30 Canadian institutions hosted over 100 events during SDG Week 2024 to encourage collaboration, promote awareness, and drive action in support of the SDGs.

Organized by the Principal’s Office, SDG Month at Queen’s promotes learning, teaching, and networking opportunities on topics from exploring careers with impact to engaging with research through a new lens.

“Much of the work at Queen's is directly tied to SDGs, contributing to the university’s social impact and making a tangible difference in the lives of others. We are proud to take part in SDG Month Canada and continue raising awareness about these global goals, their importance, and how Queen’s is driving meaningful change alongside other post-secondary institutions in Canada.”

– Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor

Queen’s events and initiatives

Members of the Queen’s community are invited to share their SDG events to Queen’s SDG Month Canada calendar. Events will be updated throughout the month of March. A current highlight includes the launch of the UN SDG Career Guide developed by Queen’s Career Services. It offers insights into meaningful work, career paths, training programs, and volunteer opportunities for students at Queen’s. The March 26 launch event for the Career Guide will feature an alumni panel and reception with remarks from Heather Aldersey, Special Advisor to the Principal on SDGs, and Principal Patrick Deane. Visit the SDG Month at Queen’s Calendar to learn more.

Research and the SDGs at Queen’s

Taking us behind the scenes of the lab, out in the field, and deep in the archives, the Queen’s Art of Research photo contest brings to life the unseen moments of the research process. Returning for its eighth year, the Art of Research offers an opportunity for Queen’s researchers to share their work through compelling visuals and engage the public in seeing their research in new ways. Aligning with the mission and vision of the Queen’s Strategy, the photo contest encourages researchers to analyze their research through the lens of the SDGs. Participants have the chance to win a prize in one of five photo categories or the video category themed around the SDGs. For the past eight years, these unique photos have been used across the university to help illustrate how the breadth and diversity of Queen’s research is advancing impact locally, nationally, and globally. The contest is open to Queen’s faculty, staff, students, and alumni and will launch in March as part of SDG Month at Queen’s. Additional details are to come in the Gazette.

An institutional snapshot

[Report cover: Advancing social impact 2023-2024]

Queen’s has released the fourth annual edition of the Advancing social impact report. The report and corresponding website provide a snapshot of the university’s activities in research, teaching, outreach, and stewardship to support the SDGs. The purpose is to inspire further ideas, actions, and collaborative opportunities and partnerships to help advance social impact and track our progress towards the goals. Another method through which Queen’s measures progress is by participating in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings, the only global performance tables that assess universities against the SDGs. In 2024, for the fourth year-in-a-row, Queen’s ranked among the global top 10, placing eighth in the world and second in North America out of more than 2,100 institutions from 125 countries. Queen’s is the only Canadian university to achieve this milestone since the rankings launched in 2019.

All Canadian universities will come together in shared commitment and action for the SDGs in the SDSN conference, , in Calgary, on May 25-26, 2025. The national conference represents an all-of-society approach to addressing Canada’s toughest sustainable development challenges, bringing together the private sector, academia, government, and civil society. The Queen’s community is welcome to confirm if they are participating in the conference with the Principal’s Office, so we might create a community of all attendees in advance.

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