WUN Global Challenges
The WUN has identified four research themes where it has particular capacity to develop solutions to issues of significant global concern. Each Global Challenges group has a York academic representative.
Responding to Climate Change
Our academics are working to address the catalysts, causes and consequences of climate change.
The position for the University of York on the group is currently vacant. Please contact Elisha Witcomb if this is of interest.
Find out more about WUN's collection of research programmes on their Responding to Climate Change page.
I am working on the "Regenerative by design: Addressing climate change and reducing inequality in a post-pandemic world" project, where I am involved in approaches to regeneration and just transitions in urban settings. I also work on energy access and energy transitions and am interested in their intersections with health challenges.
Dr Joshua Kirshner, Environment and Geography, Previous Global Challenge Champion for Responding to Climate Change
Public Health
This Global Challenge centres on interdisciplinary research projects addressing the spread and treatment of diseases in low and middle income countries and developed societies.
Professor Amanda Mason-Jones, Health Sciences, is our representative in this group.
Find out more about WUN's collection of research programmes on their Public Health page.
The Public Health Global Challenge steering group has developed over the years in line with the public health challenges facing us all, with the most recent innovation being to develop large interdisciplinary collaborative projects in line with the UN Research Roadmap for Covid-19 recovery. Colleagues from member universities came together to plan projects in preparation for funding that will no doubt follow this initiative. We worked together to consolidate the themes that emerged and bring together researchers in a truly collaborative and cooperative way to co-produce proposals. A project led by York (Professor Federica Angeli) with collaborators from France, Switzerland, Colombia and Canada and was submitted for the Trans Atlantic Partnership in July 2021. This new way of working in a more collaborative and less competitive way reflects the strength, commitment and raison d'être of WUN.
Dr Amanda Mason-Jones, Health Sciences
Global Higher Education and Research
York academics collaborating on this Global Challenge are addressing the sources, mechanisms, and social structures that create today's higher education challenges, and proposing international reform policies.
Dr Eleanor Brown, Education, is our representative in this group.
Find out more about WUN's collection of research programmes on their Global Higher Education and Research page.
Understanding Cultures
Interdisciplinary research projects focusing on Understanding Culture are working to help understand the consequences of globalisation for cultural identities, and to centre decolonization in future sustainable development plans.
Currently vacant
Find out more about WUN's collection of research programmes on their Understanding Cultures page.