The three-year appointment, from January 2025 to December 2027, recognises Macquarie University's global leadership in sustainability research and education, particularly in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection.
“This important appointment aligns with Macquarie’s longstanding commitment to creating positive environmental change through research, education and community engagement,” says Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton.
“As the UNAI SDG Hub Chair for Life on Land, we will accelerate our work in addressing critical sustainability challenges.”
UNAI has named Associate Professor Fatemeh Salehi as Chair of the Hub. Associate Professor Salehi is Academic Lead for Sustainability in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. She is an expert in thermofluids, focusing on creating sustainable engineering solutions to achieve net-zero targets and protect the environment.
“The Hub will foster collaboration between universities, industry partners and communities to develop innovative solutions for biodiversity conservation and to translate research into practical actions that protect and restore our ecosystems,” says Associate Professor Salehi.
“Our goal is to reach 28,000 students and staff with sustainability training by 2028, while expanding our community engagement through workshops, public lectures and citizen science programs.”
Associate Professor Fatemeh Salehi has been announced as the UNAI SDG Chair of the Hub for Life on Land.
The Hub will be jointly led by the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Macquarie’s Sustainability Office to leverage the University’s research strengths and global partnerships to promote sustainability across education and research.
Macquarie University’s appointment is supported by significant sustainability initiatives, including a $450 million sustainability-linked loan framework and partnerships with industry leaders and research organisations worldwide.
United Nations Academic Impact, launched in 2010, aligns higher education institutions with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realisation of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion of sustainability through the Sustainable Development Goals.
Macquarie University joins other leading institutions, including the University of Bergen (Norway) for Life Below Water and Tsinghua University (China) for Partnerships for the Goals in the UNAI network, which comprises over 1700 universities and colleges across more than 150 countries.
