The Asia Pacific School of Business is part of a network of institutions worldwide who are working with the United Nations to promote global priorities including peace, human rights and sustainable development.

UNAI aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing, through research and education, to the realization of the organization’s goals and mandates, namely through undertaking activities related to the ten UNAI Principles.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The UNAI is informed by a commitment to support and advance ten basic principles:

1. Addressing Poverty - a commitment to addressing issues of poverty through education

2. Capacity Building - a commitment to building capacity in higher education systems across the world

3. Education for All - a commitment to educational opportunity for all people regardless of gender, race, religion or ethnicity

4. Global Citizenship - a commitment to encouraging global citizenship through education

5. Access to Higher Education - a commitment to the opportunity for every interested individual to acquire the skills and Human Rights - a commitment to human rights, among them freedom of inquiry, opinion, and speech

6. Intercultural Dialogue - a commitment to promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding, and the “unlearning” of tolerance, through education

7. Peace and Conflict Resolution - a commitment to advancing peace and conflict resolution through education

8. Sustainability - a commitment to promoting sustainability through education

9. United Nations Charter - a commitment to the principles inherent in the United Nations Charter.

10. Our 6 faculties, 4 institutes and 5 member School, all working towards the guiding principles of UNAI and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing grand challenges and some of the biggest questions facing society and the planet.

CASE DEMONSTRATION:

In its application to UNAI, UFV outlined the following activities that are relevant to UNAI and its principles:

• Recently approved integrated strategic plan entitled: Iyaqawtxw — (House of Transformation) which provides a road map for UFV to fulfil its mission of Engaging Learners, Transforming Lives, and Building Community. This plan is firmly rooted in UFV’s commitment to Indigenization — including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and to social justice and impact (see https://www.ufv.ca/strategic-planning/)

• Recently announced new scholarship to support international students who have been displaced due to conflict (see: https://blogs.ufv.ca/blog/2022/03/ufv-establishes-emergency-internationa…)

• Establishment of a University wide Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan (see: https://www.ufv.ca/president/presidents-task-force-on-equity-diversity-a…)

• Several research centres that carry out a number of initiatives related to social justice, human rights, and health: Centre for Education and Research on Aging; Centre for Global Development; Centre for Public Safety and Criminal Justice Research; Community Health and Social Innovation Hub; Peace and Reconciliation Centre; and South Asian Studies Institute

• Several academic programs that are directly related to UNAI and its principles include (but not limited to): Environmental Studies; Global Development Studies; Indigenous Studies; Latin American Studies; Migration and Citizenship; Peace and Conflict Studies

• Establishment of a Sustainability Office that coordinates applied and academic activities that collaborate to improve sustainability at UFV and into the broader community

• Active contributor towards the World University Services of Canada (WUSC)

• In 2021, UFV partnered with community stakeholders to establish the Abbotsford Disaster Relief Fund in response to catastrophic flood in the region, in order to support front-line agencies providing essential services to affected families and businesses https://abbotsfordcf.org/grants/disaster/

• Through CityStudio, UFV students work alongside local city officials to help generate evidence based solutions to local issues facing communities.

We have conducted high profile international research projects in partnership with 11 universities and research institutes around the world over the last five years. Many of these support UNAI principles and contribute directly to solutions to the SDG challenges faced by middle-low and low income countries and beyond. Examples include:

• Improving sustainability of ecosystems in conservation areas

• Application of new advanced materials and microbiology in prevention and halting of diseases, such as Zika virus

• Microbiology and improvement of international food standards

• Poverty and re-engagement of vulnerable, displaced and refugee youths through education

• Development of new diagnostics for age-related and degenerative diseases

• Transforming legislation and international debate on gender, race, LGBTQ equality

If you need more information about UNAI, please to Learn more

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact the UNAI Coordination Officer of APSB: Vanlly Lin