Curious to see how they could engage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a fun and engaging way, a variety of students from across Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | 91制片厂 (UC) joined the SDG Game this week.听
Many of them were international students, reflecting some of the 193 United Nations member countries which signed up to the SDGs in 2015 to create a more peaceful and sustainable world by 2030. 听
Facilitated by learning experience designer James Bishop of Koru Consulting, the first half of the game saw participants focusing on their own goals. Consequently, global environmental and social indicators took a dive. Faced with this stark reality, and fuelled by a dinner break, in the second half participants began collaborating to improve the world meter, trading and then donating money and time tokens to help others鈥 projects succeed. This change in approach highlighted the importance of collective effort in solving sustainability challenges.
Bishop, who has run more than 135 games around the world, enjoyed seeing the UC group aligning toward a common goal, with several students helping to lead change.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 rare to hear individuals step up and speak out to change the narrative mid-point in the game. I observed the group shift their focus and energy to a more positive outcome on the initiative of a few, which just shows that even one person can make a difference,鈥 he says.听
The event concluded with a debrief, which prompted rich reflections from participants about their personal experiences during the game and how this could be translated to the sustainability challenges facing the world today. Informal discussions continued afterwards, creating connections between participants.听
The SDGs at UC month continues through August with the latest research, thought leadership and events for students, including a morning dance party where students can wear the colour of the SDG they care most about to receive a free smoothie to fuel their dancefloor moves.听听
UC is committed to embedding SDGs into learning and research and was recently ranked in the ; sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, and life on land in The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024.鈥
