Universidad de los Andes and Its Contribution to Bogota in the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda

Abstract

Universities can play an important role in decarbonizing cities and tackling inequalities in urban settings. Both challenges are particularly critical in Latin America and the Caribbean where demographic transition toward urban areas and the persistent inequalities have increased the ecological footprint of human activities and the economy in general. In this chapter, we will discuss how universities can contribute in a multifaceted manner to the achievement of SDG11, its specific targets, and explore the synergies between SDG11 and other important Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Latin American and the Caribbean Region. The chapter presents the experience of the Center of the Sustainable Development Goals for Latin America and the Caribbean (CODS) in monitoring the progress in the achievement of the SDGs in the region. In addition, the trajectory of the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia is used to illustrate the challenges and the possibilities for a higher education institution in contributing to moving toward a more sustainable urban setting. These strategies include not only education and research, but also how it has intervened in the immediate neighborhood of the campus, the close ties with the city administration over decades, and close interactions with the private sector at the local and national levels.

Citation

Cardenas, J.C., Navarrete, M., Panyella, C. and Pinilla-Roncancio, M. (2024), "Universidad de los Andes and Its Contribution to Bogota in the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda", Lumbreras, J. and Moreno-Serna, J. (Ed.) Higher Education and SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities (Higher Education and the Sustainable Development Goals), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 63-90. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83797-420-720241005