A Sunshine Coast university has been named Australia’s best for efforts to reduce hunger, while also emerging as Queensland’s leading institution for protecting land ecosystems in a major global sustainability assessment.
The University of the Sunshine Coast achieved the nation’s highest result for the United Nations’ Zero Hunger goal in the latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. It was also the state’s leading performer for Life on Land and placed eighth globally in the category.
The assessment measures how universities worldwide contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through research, teaching, outreach and campus operations.
UniSC placed 59th globally among 1603 participating institutions, putting it in the top four per cent worldwide. It also featured among the world’s top 30 universities for Zero Hunger, Life on Land and Climate Action.
Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett said sustainability was a key focus of UniSC.
“These results reflect our commitment to sustainability, achieved through research projects, teaching, outreach and leadership in the field,” Professor Bartlett said.
“We are contributing to efforts to end hunger through research, education and action. This includes research in improving nutrition and sustainable agriculture as well as providing food security for students.
“Our Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research, based at UniSC, is doing great work supporting communities in the Pacific to shape a more sustainable future. This includes research and projects developing food systems and aquaculture.”
Professor Bartlett said UniSC’s conservation research also focused on protecting threatened species through projects involving wildlife habitat protection, sustainable forest restoration and biosecurity.
“UniSC’s new turtle research and rehabilitation facility at Hervey Bay, the Milbi Centre, is an example of our commitment to conserving threatened species.
“The centre is a hub for vital research and rehabilitation of injured and ill turtles from our region.
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“Sustainability in university operations is also a core consideration in these rankings, and our results reflect some of unique approaches to sustainability on campus, including our thermal water battery harnessing solar power for energy, thoughtful landscaping to minimise water use, and a campus waste reduction system that includes onsite processing.”
