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KADK Helping to Realise the UN Global Goals and Creating New Green Growth Sector

Date
01.06.2017
Category
Cooperation and business

KADK has devoted three academic years to developing design and architecture, which can support the UN goals for a sustainable world, at the same time creating the basis for a new Danish growth sector rooted in innovative solutions to national and global problems.

On 25 September 2015 at the UN summit in New York, heads of government from all over the world passed an unprecedentedly ambitious agenda, which between then and 2030 would pave the way for more sustainable development for both us as human beings and the planet we inhabit. 

Dialogue and collaboration are the way forward
KADK shares that ambition. architects and designers possess precisely the professional creative and innovative skills needed to create the new products, solutions and strategies and drive a positive development on both the local and global levels. So in summer 2016 KADK decided to lead the way and devote three academic years to work on the UN Global Goals. “Given our responsibility for the education of future generations of architects and designers, we feel a joint responsibility for training graduates, whose competencies will contribute to a more sustainable world. KADK aims to be a laboratory for the development of new, sustainable solutions and products. Hopefully, we can thereby also inspire the business community. That is why we are also aiming at closer interaction with interested companies to create discussion and collaboration for new solutions and opportunities,” says the Rector, Lene Dammand Lund.

New Danish growth sector with huge potential
Historically speaking, the Danish architecture and design tradition has played a major role vis-à-vis the building of a sustainable welfare society, which today is highly acclaimed and regarded as a role model for the rest of the world. That means KADK has a strong basis for perpetuating the tradition in its work of helping realise the new FN targets for 2030. Meanwhile, the need and demand for sustainable solutions throughout the world are increasing. Consequently, KADK’s work on the Global Goals has huge potential when it comes to establishing a new Danish growth sector driven by innovative products, solutions and strategies for a sustainable lifestyle and societal arrangement.

The work is already in full swing
Last year’s final-year shows at KADK were largely characterised by socially responsible projects featuring solutions to both societal and global challenges. An ideas catalogue compiled by staff and students in autumn 2015 highlighted the UN Goals as a potential focus area for KADK. “We have taken on the idea,” says Lene Dammand Lund. “Young people have been born into an age, in which the world’s challenges are their challenges. They know that they are the ones who must lead the way and tackle the task. On countless occasions they have shown that they can, with innovative, responsible final-year projects. Now our focus on the Global Goals shows them a path they can take to target their work and make a huge impact on the world.” 

How KADK are tackling the UN’s Global Goals:

  • Between 2016 and 2019, all degree projects in the architecture and design programmes will be required to address the Global Goals.
  • Workshops and activities across the academy will support the students’ work on relating their projects to the UN’s world goals.
  • Establishment of several partnerships with external operators, who are also working on the UN’s Global Goals.