The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the reference framework for each institution committed to sustainable development and fight against climate change. The Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE) assumed the role of addressing the challenges set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, aiming to have a strong impact in promoting sustainability at local and regional level. Our University is willing to demonstrate commitment to oversee and follow-up the efforts needed to tackle the SDGs and to support real change in our society.
2020 was an unpredictable and challenging year, with huge transformations at all the levels of the society, generated by the outburst of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the educational system being significantly affected and forced to rapidly adapt and make the transition to new educational tools, methods and technologies. In this context, the most important objective of our university was to safeguard the health of its community members and to enhance cohesion, solidarity, flexibility and responsibility as key values in overcoming these unprecedented hurdles.
Even more, the ASE community has managed to persevere in its efforts to promote sustainability, using its most effective tools: teaching, conducting research, providing support for the representatives of the local, regional and public administration, and improving the campus operations through responsible behaviour.
So far, our University’s impact against the UN’ SDGs was ranked in top three in Romania in the most recent Times Higher Education Impact Ranking 2021, and 401-600 in the general ranking. ASE’s best scores were registered for SDG 5 – Gender equality (rank 101-200), SDG 9 – Industry, innovation and infrastructure, SDG 1 – No poverty, and SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth (rank 201-300 for each of them).
From this perspective, the current report comprises the steps undertaken by our university over the last year and the underlying accomplishments, demonstrating once again our commitment to continue addressing the SDGs challenges and opportunities, even in turbulent times, and pursuing the principle: Be innovative, be proactive!
Professor Marius Constantin Profiroiu
Vice-Rector of International Relations
