Spring 2024 Course
Course Overview
The Office of Global Affairs and Population Health Initiative are offering a one credit General Studies course that will introduce students to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, research at the University of Washington aligned with those goals, and the role the goals play in improving population health, societies, and the environment, both locally and globally.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) are “an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership that provides a
shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet through strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests” (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs).
Adopted by the UN member states in 2015, the 17 SDGs encompass topics ranging from poverty, health, and inequality to climate, land, water, and global partnerships. Achieving the SDGs requires not only interdisciplinary collaboration, but also expertise from multiple sectors: academia, businesses, civil society organizations, and governments. As global citizens of the 21st century, it is critical to understand the metrics for each goal, how countries around the world perform on the SDGs, and strategies and challenges for achieving the SDGs.
This seminar will invite experts and scholars from the UW and the Seattle region to address each of the 17 SDGs. Whereas the SDGs are shared global goals, how countries and regions perform and achieve these goals all vary. Each lecture will include an overview of the selected SDGs, case studies based on speaker’s expertise, and programs in the Seattle regions that are working towards the SDGs. Through this seminar course, we aim to cultivate a sense of global citizenship among our students as well as to situate their understanding of the SDGs locally.
Course Details
- Course Number: GEN ST 297A
- SLN: 14914
- Time: Tuesday // 1:30-2:20 PM
- Location: CDH 139
- Grading: Credit/No Credit
- 1 credit undergraduate seminar
Course Learning Goals
Through this course, students will:
- Describe the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Discuss current status of the SDGs worldwide
- Compare how the United States and Washington State perform on the SDGs
- Explore the multidisciplinary breadth of expertise, research, and programs that is required to achieve the SDGs
- Create actionable steps to learn more about the SDGs
Facilitators
Yen-Chu Weng, Program on the Environment, yweng@uw.edu
Anita Ramasastry, School of Law & Office of Global Affairs, arama@uw.edu
Arti Shah, Population Health Initiative, artishah@uw.edu
Taylor Jolliffe, Population Health Initiative, tjoll10@uw.edu
Guest Speakers
This seminar will invite experts and scholars from the UW and the Seattle region. Each lecture will include an overview of the selected SDGs, case studies based on speaker’s expertise and programs in the Seattle regions that are working towards realization of the SDGs.
| Date | Speaker | Topic | Unit |
| 3/26 | Yen-Chu Weng Arti Shah Anita Ramasastry |
Introduction, History of the SDGs | Program on the Environment Population Health Initiative Office of Global Affairs |
| 4/2 | Kristie Ebi | Climate Action (SDG 13) and Partnerships (SDG 17) | Global Health |
| 4/9 | Mine Metitiri | No Poverty (SDG 1) & Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3) | Global Health |
| 4/16 | Ali Mokdad | Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3) & Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10) | Institute for Health Metrics & Evaluation |
| 4/23 | Julian Marshall | Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10) and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) | Civil & Environmental Engineering |
| 4/30 | Kathleen Artman Meeker | Quality Education (SDG 4) | Haring Center for Research & Training in Inclusive Education |
| 5/7 | Dargan Frierson | Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) | Atmospheric Sciences |
| 5/14 | Rachel Chapman | Gender Equity (SDG 5) | Anthropology, Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies & Global Health |
| 5/21 | Alison Horn | Quality Education (SDG 4) | UW Riverways Education Partnerships |
| 5/28 | Jeffrey Walters | Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) | School of Engineering & Technology |