In September 2015 UIL will offer four CONFINTEA research scholarships for a period of one month each to researchers from UNESCO Member States (particularly from the global South). The scholarships are mainly based on private donations from the British educationalist Peter Jarvis and his publisher Taylor & Francis and the Nomura Centre for Lifelong Integrated Education in Japan.

LONDON, Feb 12 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - U.N. development goals for 2030 risk failure without clearer, more measurable targets that are based on the latest scientific evidence, researchers warned on Thursday.

World leaders are due to adopt later this year a set of new development objectives, such as ending hunger, promoting healthy lives and tackling climate change, to replace eight expiring U.N. Millennium Development Goals. To read the full article click here.

Scientific review labels development targetsas vague, weak or meaningless. Read the full article here.

The science of building a perfect world from Road to Paris, Science for Smart Policy

Science, technology and medicine are of course integral to the development of economies. Indeed, fundamentally, development is about wider access to precisely these things. But what does science have to tell us about the development process itself, about whether the objectives we choose are achievable, desirable? Is there a ‘more scientific’ approach to the goals we set ourselves?

From the impact of the industrial revolution to today’s rapid urbanisation and the climate trends that made 2014 the warmest year on record, these charts are a snapshot of our changing world.

They testify to a great acceleration of humanity’s impact on our planet and the “new global context” that leaders operate in. In a single human lifetime, Earth has moved to a quantifiably new state.

A girl or a woman in school is realizing her fundamental human right to an education. She also has a far greater shot at realizing her full potential throughout her life, becoming better equipped to secure a decent, well-paid job, for instance, or leave a violent home.

Education is essential for women to attain gender equality and become leaders of change. At the same time, educated women benefit entire societies. They make substantial contributions to flourishing economies and the improved health, nutrition and education of their families.

The countdown has begun to September’s summit on the sustainable development goals, with national governments now discussing the 17 goals that could transform the world by 2030. Read the full article in the Guardian here.

After a year of global turmoil, the UN and international community must work harder than ever for a sustainable future. Please read the article in the Guardian.

Global essay competition invites schoolchildren to share their ideas for the future of sustainability education, and how we can achieve them. For more information visit the Living Rainforest Website.