Research Topics

Research and academic activities aligned with every Sustainable Development Goal

Topics Header Photo
The University shall devote its work to research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations and its agencies.
Charter of the United Nations University

People — topics on improving lives of people everywhere

Planet — topics on preserving and improving our environment and natural resources

Peace and partnerships — topics on fostering peaceful, just, and inclusive societies

Showing 61-70 of 4406 results

Conversation Series -

The Future of Education, Culture and Science in the Digital Age

On 19 June 2025, UNU will host a conversation with Ms. Gabriela Ramos, former UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Social Sciences.

News 02 Jun 2025

Webinar Highlights Action-Oriented Teaching for Sustainability

Part of the UNESCO ESD-Net 2030 learning webinar series, the session explored how to empower learners to tackle global challenges.

BIG IDEAS Series -

Women, Peace, and Cybersecurity: a Gendered Approach to Empowerment in a Digitally Interconnected World

ONLINE: On 17 June 2025, UNU will host a BIG IDEAS Dialogue with Jaimee Stuart, a Senior Researcher and Team Lead at UNU Macau.

Expert Research Fellow, Environment-Conflict Nexus

Dr. Pinar Dinc

Dr. Pınar Dinç is a political scientist specializing in environmental peace and conflict studies, with a particular focus on the interplay between political power, climate and environmental change, ecological degradation, authoritarianism, resistance, and migration. 

Expert Research Fellow, Society, Development and Governance

Dr. Alesia D. Ofori

Dr. Alesia D. Ofori works at the intersection of governance, society, and sustainable development, investigating how political, economic, and socio-cultural processes across local, meso, and global levels shape the governance of natural resources and development outcomes.

Expert Executive Director, UNU Hub on Water in a Changing Environment (WICE)

Dr. Rolf Larsson

Dr. Rolf Larsson is a water resources researcher with a diverse background spanning computational fluid dynamics (CFD), snow hydrology, urban hydrology, and urban flood management. 

Article 02 Jun 2025

AI Efficiency: The Key to a Smarter, More Sustainable Future for Africa

Democratized AI solutions can enable Africa to utilize AI for critical applications such as agriculture, health care and climate resilience.

Blog Post 02 Jun 2025

No second to spare: an urgent agenda for future generations

The world demands urgent, collective action to prevent catastrophic risks and ensure a livable future for coming generations.

Event -

Hamburg Sustainability Conference 2025

Exploring pathways to just, inclusive and forward-looking multilateralism.

Media Coverage 30 May 2025

With more investment, Australia can help secure UN peacekeeping’s future

In The Strategist, Dr. Charles Hunt and Lisa Sharland argue Australia has a chance to play a more ambitious role in global peace operations.