Mission 4.7

Mission 4.7 is an ambitious global initiative that builds upon UNESCO’s global leadership on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED).

The initiative brings together leaders from government, academia, civil society, and business to advocate for transformative education for sustainable development and global citizenship at all levels of learning (SDG Target 4.7). Together the initiative’s partners— the SDSN, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, UNESCO, and the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) at Columbia University—work to curate and create relevant educational resources, push countries for greater investments in transformative education, and identify ways to train and support educators around the world.

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Ages of Globalization Course

The Ages of Globalization, an innovative online course targeted for high school-level students, conceptually based on Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs' seminal book "The Ages of Globalization," builds historical and scientific knowledge while fostering a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of humanity in history and today. By understanding our shared history, students will be enabled and empowered to meet the complex sustainable development challenges of our time. With visits and storytelling at UNESCO's Cultural Heritage Sites, this course introduces a new and thrilling curriculum that merges world history, science, geography, technology, interactive maps, and globally connected classrooms with live online monthly lectures with Professor Sachs and distinguished guests from across the globe. The course is set to launch in September 2024.

Mission 4.7 Malaysia

SDSN is working to localize Mission 4.7 by identifying barriers to and opportunities for the implementation of transformative education in the Malaysian national education system. An initial report that reviewed major policy documents, select primary school textbooks and curricula, and stakeholder interviews revealed that, while ESD themes are present in policy documents and Ministry rhetoric, there are major barriers to implementation, particularly when it comes to teacher capacity and professional development. In partnership with the Malaysian Ministry of Education, SDSN is piloting a comprehensive and interdisciplinary teacher training curriculum with the goal of producing a teacher training toolkit that can be scaled across the country and replicated across the region.