Pace University Advances Global Leadership on the SDGs

Pace University continues to lead on the efforts to develop understanding of the need to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through faculty scholarship, institutional strategy, and student-led programs with measurable outcomes.

A new interdisciplinary volume, Pathways to Sustainable Development, edited by Narinder Kakar, distinguished senior fellow at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, and Anna Shostya, PhD, professor and chair of economics at Dyson College, brings together global scholars and practitioners to address priorities in the UN Common Agenda. The book, published last November, outlines forward-looking strategies tied to environmental governance, inclusive economic and social development, and multilateral cooperation.

The conclusion of the book emphasizes the importance of these strategies in our shared effort as an international community to advance sustainable development principles. It highlights the definition from the Brundtland Commission’s report: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” It also reminds us of a familiar and urgent refrain: “We have not inherited the Earth from our ancestors, we have borrowed it from our children.”

Sustainable development rests on three essential pillars: economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection. These values guide Pace’s research and teaching across disciplines. Faculty continue to translate scholarship into policy frameworks, curriculum, and campus-based programs that address climate resilience, access to quality education, affordable healthcare, and other long-term domestic and global challenges.

Universities across the globe are well positioned to play an important role in shaping strategies and policy-frameworks that focus on sustainability. This is exactly what President Marvin Krislov called for in January 2026, when he spoke at the World University Leaders seminar at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Invited as the only US university leader on the panel, Krislov joined peers from around the world to discuss the growing role of universities in global governance and SDGs leadership.

At the Forum, Krislov emphasized how universities can operate beyond the constraints of election cycles or market pressures. He spoke to the importance of academic freedom, interdisciplinary research, and student engagement in shaping sustainable policies. He also addressed the need for institutional alignment, ensuring that the values taught in the classroom are reflected in operations, partnerships, and planning. Krislov also highlighted faculty work, student leadership, and a strong tradition of civic engagement throughout the University.

That commitment is also reflected in the growing number of Pace students selected for the Millennium Fellowship, a global program coordinated by the United Nations Academic Impact and the Millennium Campus Network. This year, 34 students from across the University were selected, the largest cohort in Pace’s history.

Chosen from more than 60,000 applicants representing 130 countries, the fellows are leading projects focused on gender-based violence prevention, food systems, mental health, refugee support, education access, and environmental justice. The group includes students from Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, the Lubin School of Business, the School of Education, the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, and the College of Health Professions.

One team, Pace’s Blue CoLab, is partnering with students from Finland’s Häme University of Applied Sciences to develop a proposal in support of SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Together, they are building a case for a global right-to-know standard on water quality, which they will present at the United Nations in Fall 2026.

Through research, international collaboration, and student leadership, Pace is not only supporting the goals of the 2030 Agenda but also helping define how universities contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.