Director: Dr Nick Chisholm
The Centre for Global Development at UCC was launched in 2011 in support of UCC’s strategic commitment to adopt a global perspective in all of its activities and recognising the existing diverse range of global development activities already taking place across the University. The main purpose of the CGD is to provide a forum to stimulate further engagement by staff and students in global development initiatives and to enable interdisciplinary cooperation in this mission across the University. The CGD aims to bring the concept of sustainable global development to the forefront of UCC activities. The CGD is also the home of the Praxis Project.
The CGD aims to promote a focus on addressing major global development challenges, informed by values of social justice, inclusivity and sustainability. In doing so the CGD will strengthen UCC’s role in promoting global citizenship and in attracting a multi-cultural student community.
Further information about the CGD can be found on its website:
Staff from across UCC collaborate with the CGD. Below are some case studies presented by staff members as examples of GCDE or related work.
1. CGC Digital Badges
A digital badge is a validated microcredential awarded to earners in an online format and is an excellent addition to a CV. It is a means for the University to recognise non-accredited learning that support the values and attributes that the university seeks to foster. The following two digital badges are offered by the CGD:
DIGITAL BADGE IN GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION
Praxis Global Citizenship and Development Education (Third Level Staff) Award
Lecturer: Dr Gertrude Cotter
Position: Lecturer and Academic Coordinator of the Praxis Project
This badge was accepted by UCC in 2021 and is linked to this research study. Future participants in the Praxis Project will be awarded this Praxis Global Citizenship and Development Education (Third Level Staff) Award.
This badge will introduce learners to the theory, themes, values, methodologies and practice of Critical Global Citizenship and Development Education (DGCE). It will facilitate them to contextualise this learning within their disciplines, pedagogy, research or other third level work and support them to develop cross-disciplinary collaboration and civic engagement skills, with a view to taking informed, collective act ion towards a just society.
DIGITAL BADGE IN CITIZENSHIP FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
In collaboration with School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences UCC (BEES)
Lecturer: Dr Barbara Doyle Prestwich
Position: Principal investigator, lecturer and currently acting head of Plant Science based in the School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences UCC. Her research interests include plant biotechnology and sustainable crop improvement.
The badge is composed of four main criteria:
- Scholarship: (reflective practice involving the current literature). How do the SDGs impact our lives locally and globally? All participants were asked to review key pieces of literature (some recommended by the team) and to keep a reflective diary.
- Participation in a workshop: each participant was asked to give a presentation using the literature and how the SDGs could impact on their own area of work/interest. Each participant was asked to present 5 slides to the workshop audience and to the badge team.
- Becoming a CGD ambassador: Part of the award of the badge was contingent on the participant agreeing to become a UCC CGD ambassador and to actively promote the CGD both within and outside of the university. A tangible output here would be the participation/organisation of online seminars/webinars which were managed by the CGD (lunchtime seminar series – amongst other organised events).
- Production of a vlog/blog: The final badge criteria was for the participants to produce a vlog/blog on what it means to be a UCC CGD ambassador and its importance in addressing the SDGs.
2. CGC Lunchtime Seminar Series on ‘Global Sustainable Development’
Seminar Convenor: Dr Rosarii Griffin.
Office of the Vice President for Learning and Teaching
Organised by Dr. Griffin, the CGD ran a series of lunchtime seminars in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. The seminars were delivered by UCC academic staff and NGO representatives on a very wide range of topics relating to the Sustainable Development Goals. Examples from 2020 are below and these also show the range of global sustainable development work being carried out by UCC:
- Colette Cunningham – Public Health
‘SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages. Aspirational or achievable?’ - Saba Loftus (TBC) – APC Microbiome Ireland
‘The United Nations and the Sustainable Development Goals: An Internal Perspective’ - Dr Lijuan Qian – Music
‘Ethnic Minority Women in Music-related Sustainable Development Programmes in Yunnan, China’ - Self-Help Africa
‘Meeting Ireland’s SGD Commitment: The Amalgamation of Gorta with Self-Help Africa to form Ireland’s biggest NGO’. - Ted O’Sullivan – Centre for Cooperative Studies
Title: ‘UCC, Irish Credit Unions and the millennium development goals: A project in Sierra Leone - Dr Marguerite Nyhan – Engineering – ORB R.203
Title: ‘Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Efforts: Perspectives from Working in the UN’. - Dr Gordon Dalton /Dr Fiona Flemming – MaREI – ORB R.203
Title: ‘Responsible Research and Innovation in relation to the SDGs – Reporting on the Progress of an EU Horizon 2020 funded project’ - Jenny Byrne (UCC), Dr Stella Long (Mary Immaculate College) with Lesotho College of Education (LCE) colleagues Ms Nophatheka Phela and Ms Nthabeleng Mako-Maketela (tbc), Lesotho.
Title: ‘Education and Disability in Lesotho: Responding to the SDGs’. - Dr Gertrude Cotter – The Praxis Project
Title: ‘SDGs and Global Citizenship Education…Potential and Challenges’
The Centre for Global Development
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