SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
By actively fostering partnerships and collaborations at the local, national and global levels, Laurier demonstrates its commitment to SDG 17. These partnerships are instrumental in addressing complex global challenges and working toward a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
See some of the work that Laurier completed in 2022 to advance SDG 17.
Laurier and Cabin Radio are excited to announce the creation of the Wilfrid Laurier University Climate Change Journalism Fellowship, which will facilitate reporting of important climate change-related issues. This 18-month fellowship will introduce independent and comprehensive reporting of climate science, government approaches, Indigenous experiences and guardianship efforts, as well as the impact of climate change on the peoples and communities of Northern Canada.
As Canada prepares to launch a robotic lunar rover in the next five years, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is investing in research and educational initiatives related to space science and technology. With funding from CSA, Laurier’s Faculty of Education and InkSmith are partnering to design and develop Mission on the Moon: An Educational Program for Canadian Youth, which will provide inquiry-based coding and robotics activities for students in Grades 6 through 9.
Laurier, with campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, Ont., and I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU) in Kapurthala, India have signed an agreement to allow eligible students who have completed two years in IKGPTU’s Computer Science and Engineering program to transfer to Laurier’s Computer Science program for their third and fourth years to complete a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree.
In support of Laurier’s internationalization efforts, a key priority outlined in the Laurier Strategy: 2019-2024, the university has appointed Heidi Northwood as senior executive officer: global strategy to lead strategic institutional internationalization activities.
Explore the work that Laurier research centres do build and foster partnerships.
The Tshepo Institute for the Study of Contemporary Africa (TISCA) is a university-wide research centre with members across multiple faculties involved in Afrocentric research projects. TISCA’s vision is to provide scholars specializing in Africa with a platform and voice to produce and share timely interdisciplinary knowledge and discourse about issues affecting contemporary Continental Africa and its diaspora. TISCA’s mission is to promote global awareness and excellence in knowledge development on issues in contemporary Africa and the African diaspora in Canada and beyond.
Laurier's International Migration Research Centre (IMRC) serves as a node of excellence in scholarship and research, social and cultural debate and policy formulation pertaining to international migration. IMRC's mission is to create platforms for debate, research, policy analysis, community engagement, and proposal development related to international migration and mobility at global, national, regional and local scales.
The UN Development Program provides a framework for defining “human security” as a freedom from fear, want, poverty and despair, and the work of Laurier's Centre for Research on Security Practices (CRSP) both engages and extends this definition. The centre does so by thinking through global and state-level practices of security and securitization that uphold structural forms of power and which, somewhat paradoxically, leave particular populations vulnerable.
The Laurier Institute for Water Science is a multidisciplinary, collaborative undertaking among research faculty in the Faculty of Arts, the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and the Faculty of Science. The institute focuses on three interconnected water-related disciplines: hydrological sciences, ecology and biogeochemical sciences, and public policy and management.
The Cold Regions Research Centre is focused on cold regions research, consulting on topics such as hydrology, climatology, glaciology, resource management, parks planning and biogeochemistry.
The Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (LCSFS) connects researchers and community partners engaged in sustainable food systems change. It creates opportunities for citizens, practitioners, policy-makers, private enterprise and academics to work together to imagine and foster food systems that are fair, healthy, ecologically regenerative, culturally appropriate, prosperous and inclusive. Using food as a lever for positive change, LCSFS cuts across multiple projects to create local and global networks that help develop resilient food systems.
The Co-operators Centre for Business and Sustainability facilitates and coordinates research related to business and environmental sustainability. The centre ensures regular communication between researchers and practitioners, including strategic decision-makers in the local sustainability community. Based at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Laurier, the centre hosts seminars, conferences and roundtables to discuss relevant topics aligned with practitioner needs and assists in disseminating research findings in a timely fashion to those who can use them.
The Viessmann Centre for Engagement and Research in Sustainability (VERiS) is an interdisciplinary and community-engaged research centre striving to be a catalyst and nexus for the transition toward strong cultures of sustainability. Cultures of sustainability are grounded in principles of environmental protection, social justice and well-being, and a supportive economy. A culture of sustainability may exist within an organization, a building with multiple organizations or a community.
The Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada (LCSC) aims to be a leading research centre focused on the interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and comparative study of the Canadian experience. LCSC facilitate and supports original research on Canada; mobilizes and disseminates knowledge to both scholarly and general audiences through community-engaged outreach programs; and provides high-quality experiential learning and training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. In pursuit of this mission, LCSC recognizes there are expansive, evolving and contested interpretations of Canada.
The Centre for Leading Research in Education (CLRiE) is a university-wide research centre at Laurier dedicated to supporting education research. It brings together Laurier faculty, staff and students, as well as researchers and partners from external community organizations, with backgrounds in education, psychology, kinesiology, music, health studies, biology, languages and literatures, history, social work, youth and children’s studies, global studies and more. CLRiE's interdisciplinary focus encourages the development of thoughtful, balanced and creative approaches to educational research in a changing world.
The Manulife Centre for Community Health Research is an interdisciplinary community development and research centre guided by multiple social determinants of health. The centre acts as an incubator for students committed to community-based scholarship and development in the field of health and well-being. The centre welcomes master’s, PhD and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of academic disciplines to work within any of its communities of practice including, but not limited to: women and gender, global health and development, Francophone issues, Indigenous health and wellness, environmental issues, community economic development and social innovation.
The Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action (CCRLA) is an interdisciplinary research centre located in Laurier’s Faculty of Science. Its work is focused on developing community partnerships and producing research, learning and action that advances community well-being and social justice. CCRLA facilitates community-based research by brokering linkages between community partners and Laurier student and faculty researchers. CCRLA provides an activity centre for community-focused and engaged research, social policy development and community action. The defining feature of the centre is its commitment to collaborative processes between university, community, industry and policy partners that honour the unique wisdom and skills of the non-academic community.
Launched in 2012, the Laurier Centre for Women in Science is proud to champion women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The centre is building an inclusive scientific community through research, action and communication, with the ultimate goal to make its mandate redundant.
The Laurier Centre for Music in the Community (LCMC) was formed with a mission of connecting Laurier to the wider Waterloo Regional community through musical activities, community research and collaboration. LCMC lives out this mission through research, symposia, publishing, projects, partnerships and concerts. Using music as a conduit, it works to connect to our community and collaborate with music makers.
Learn more about Laurier initiatives in 2022 that helped advance SDG 17.
Since 2010, Laurier has maintained a unique and productive research partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). The partnership, which has been expanded and extended to 2030, has brought new research expertise and training opportunities to the Northwest Territories and strong community connections and research opportunities to Laurier scholars. Much of the work through Laurier's partnership with the GNWT addresses the SDGs. Close connections between academic researchers and governments enhance policy development related to the SDGs and improve the capacity of governments to engage in adaptive management.
Established in 2019, the UNESCO Chair on Food, Biodiversity and Sustainability Studies is a platform for change, using food systems as a lens to work toward biodiversity protection, enhanced community resilience in the face of climate change, increased opportunities for marginalized groups, improved food security and enhanced community well-being. The UNESCO Chair network is led by the inaugural chairholder, Alison Blay-Palmer, and jointly hosted by Laurier and the Balsillie School of International Affairs. It is affiliated with the Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.
The Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) is an institute for advanced research, education and outreach in the fields of global governance and international public policy. As an affiliate member of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs, it is a global network of scholars, practitioners and students, with a mission to develop new solutions to humanity’s critical problems, to improve global governance now and in the future, and to contribute to enhancing the quality of people’s lives around the world. Founded in 2007 by philanthropist Jim Balsillie, BSIA is an equal collaboration among the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the University of Waterloo and Laurier.