Sustainable Development Goal 4 - Quality Education
The goal of SDG 4 is to provide inclusive, quality, lifelong education. As part of a university, education plays an essential role for the UNESCO Chair. The teaching activities and offers of the Chair are primarily focused on entrepreneurship education, but always closely related to the topics of sustainability and (social) responsibility. In this context, the UNESCO Chair offers courses on social entrepreneurship, sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainable business model development.
Sustainable Development Goal 5 - Gender Equality
The chair contributes to the goal of SDG 5 to achieve gender equality through the projects "Peer-Learning Activities in Entrepreneurship Education and in Women Entrepreneurship" (EEWE) as well as "Women Entrepreneurs in Science" and the role of the chair holder as a member of the Equal Opportunities Commission of the University of Wuppertal.
One of the core objectives of the EU project EEWE is to create or strengthen tailor-made strategies to support female entrepreneurship at regional or national level through closer cooperation between public authorities, private sector initiatives and relevant stakeholders. Within the framework of the project "Women Entrepreneurs in Science", the findings from the EEWE project will flow into the establishment of a NRW-wide, cross-university network to support women entrepreneurs. The project aims to equalise the proportion of women in start-up projects. In addition to start-up sensitising events at universities, female start-up role models and mentors play a central role in the project.
Sustainable Development Goal 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
The goals of SDG 8 place an explicit focus on the promotion of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation as well as on the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. These focal points are addressed, among other things, through start-up support and the acquisition of funding (including EXIST) for innovative, growth-oriented and sustainable start-up projects. Within the framework of courses and theses, students are encouraged and supported to develop scientific knowledge on the main topics of innovation and entrepreneurship. In addition, a transfer of scientific findings to companies takes place in cooperative theses and seminars with regional stakeholders, which contributes to innovation and growth.
Sustainable Development Goal 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 9 focuses, among other things, on establishing a basic infrastructure to promote start-ups. In this context, the work of the UNESCO Chair takes up the topic of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in research and teaching to investigate how a sustainable, stable and innovative ecosystem for entrepreneurship can be created.
Sustainable Development Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
The idea of sustainable urban development is deeply rooted in SDG 11. The UNESCO Chair sees itself as a cooperation partner within and outside the university to promote a sustainable, entrepreneurial understanding in the city of Wuppertal and the Bergisches Städtedreieck. Regional cooperation partners include TransZent, Neue Effizienz, the Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, Circular Valley and UtopiaStadt.
Sustainable Development Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
In the context of SDG 12, the concept of sustainable business and sustainability management plays an essential role. Through the anchoring of the UNESCO Chair at the Schumpeter School of Business and Economics, business students form the main target group of the teaching activities. The teaching concepts and initiatives of the chair are based on the maxims of responsible and sustainable management in order to sensitise future company founders and managers to these issues at an early stage. The Start-up Centre of the University of Wuppertal, initiated by the UNESCO Chair, also places a special focus on the promotion of sustainable start-ups. In the long term, Wuppertal should develop into a beacon for sustainable start-ups.
Sustainable Development Goal 13 - Climate Action
The activities of the UNESCO Chair are holistically oriented towards contributing to SDG 13. The Chair's courses raise awareness of the effects and interrelationships of climate change. Through the project "Sustainable Student Companies", the UNESCO Chair begins to raise awareness of these issues at school age. In this way, students learn at an early stage how they can make a positive contribution to society through entrepreneurial commitment. Within the framework of start-up support, founding teams are made aware of opportunities to orient their business ideas towards sustainability. In recent years, the UNESCO Chair has also repeatedly been involved in organising the Wuppertal Climathon.
Sustainable Development Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
SDG 17 highlights the importance of cross-sectoral multi-stakeholder partnerships to promote sustainable development. The UNESCO Chair cooperates with numerous regional and international actors from business, politics and civil society in the context of research, teaching and transfer activities. Here, a focus is placed on the topics of entrepreneurship, sustainability and intercultural management.
