18th September - 28th October 2022
UniSA Online
Sustainable Development Goals
Virtual Study Tour
Sustainable Development Goals
Virtual Study Tour
Application deadline has now passed
Program Dates
Application Deadline
8th August 2022
Upcoming Information Session
1st August 2022 at 7:30pm Adelaide time
Synchronous commitment of 2 evenings per week (Monday and Tuesday 7-9:30pm). Additional, nonsynchronous work will also be required.
*Orientation will take place on Sunday 18th Sept 7-9:30pm*
*Orientation will take place on Sunday 18th Sept 7-9:30pm*
Designed exclusively for UniSA Online, in collaboration with UO academics
Receive 4.5 UniSA units credit, pending PD approval
Australian Government funding of $1700 available to cover the entire cost of the program for eligible students – meaning it’s free! Places limited.
Virtually discover the culture and organisations based in Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore
Work in a multi-disciplinary team on real industry projects
Featured organisations
Program at a glance
Virtual visits, speakers & lectures
> 8 organizations with live guest speakers via zoom
> 1 virtual lecture on sustainability
> experiential learning debrief sessions every Monday and Tuesday
SDG Start-up Project
> 9 virtual hands-on workshops
> 3-4 virtual team experiences
> 17 Global Goal participant presentations
> 1 virtual pitching competition
Cultural activities
> 1 virtual cooking class & welcome dinner
> 7 360° tours of SDG-related themes
> 1 farewell sundowner
> 8 organizations with live guest speakers via zoom
> 1 virtual lecture on sustainability
> experiential learning debrief sessions every Monday and Tuesday
SDG Start-up Project
> 9 virtual hands-on workshops
> 3-4 virtual team experiences
> 17 Global Goal participant presentations
> 1 virtual pitching competition
Cultural activities
> 1 virtual cooking class & welcome dinner
> 7 360° tours of SDG-related themes
> 1 farewell sundowner
Program Overview
During this Virtual SDG Program, you embark on a virtual journey and dive into the world of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (short: SDGs or Global Goals). On the one hand, you visit SDG-related companies and social start-ups in Asia and hear from selected guest speakers featuring UN Global Goals Advocates and supporting organizations. On the other hand, you become an active member in the global SDG community:
1) by adopting a goal and becoming its goalkeeper and
2) by becoming a social innovator and developing solutions for an SDG-related real industry project
This virtual experience takes you to four Asian countries and lets you discover eight organizations, such as Qualy from Thailand, Urban Spring from Hong Kong and a social start-up accelerator called ImpacTech from Singapore. You will also attend an online lecture held by a professor from the United Nations University in Japan. The virtual meetings with managers from these organizations allow you to gain a better understanding of the SDG mission and learn how you can become the change our planet deserves and needs.
Two experienced program managers and serial entrepreneurs from People & Friends virtually accompany you during the entire program. They provide guidance and support during the SDG Start-up Projects by sharing their knowledge and expertise and engaging everyone through additional virtual activities.
Besides participating in a virtual cooking class led by a Thai cooking studio, you put on your Virtual Reality headset to go on a virtual UN Peacekeeper mission, learn about endangered whale sharks and visit UN World Heritage sites, such as the Ayutthaya Historical Temples in Thailand. For the virtual cooking class, we will send you a grocery shopping list of things you need. Our chef will then show us how we prepare our own dinner virtually.
1) by adopting a goal and becoming its goalkeeper and
2) by becoming a social innovator and developing solutions for an SDG-related real industry project
This virtual experience takes you to four Asian countries and lets you discover eight organizations, such as Qualy from Thailand, Urban Spring from Hong Kong and a social start-up accelerator called ImpacTech from Singapore. You will also attend an online lecture held by a professor from the United Nations University in Japan. The virtual meetings with managers from these organizations allow you to gain a better understanding of the SDG mission and learn how you can become the change our planet deserves and needs.
Two experienced program managers and serial entrepreneurs from People & Friends virtually accompany you during the entire program. They provide guidance and support during the SDG Start-up Projects by sharing their knowledge and expertise and engaging everyone through additional virtual activities.
Besides participating in a virtual cooking class led by a Thai cooking studio, you put on your Virtual Reality headset to go on a virtual UN Peacekeeper mission, learn about endangered whale sharks and visit UN World Heritage sites, such as the Ayutthaya Historical Temples in Thailand. For the virtual cooking class, we will send you a grocery shopping list of things you need. Our chef will then show us how we prepare our own dinner virtually.
What are the Global Sustainable Development Goals?
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The SDG Start-up project explained
You and the rest of the group are divided into interdisciplinary teams who receive SDG-related Start-up Challenge Projects provided by real social start-ups in Asia. These projects offer you and your team members the opportunity to develop social innovation solutions for these start-ups. Each day, the two People & Friends program managers give a highly interactive workshop to introduce you to various state-of-the-art tools and methods for your to apply to your respective SDG Start-up projects.
By learning about Design and Visual Thinking or the Business Model Canvas, for example, you are equipped with the needed skill-set and, more importantly, mindset to successfully develop entrepreneurial solutions that create a sustainable impact. At the end of the program each team presents its final results in front of a jury of experienced social entrepreneurs based in Asia to receive valuable feedback.
By learning about Design and Visual Thinking or the Business Model Canvas, for example, you are equipped with the needed skill-set and, more importantly, mindset to successfully develop entrepreneurial solutions that create a sustainable impact. At the end of the program each team presents its final results in front of a jury of experienced social entrepreneurs based in Asia to receive valuable feedback.
Graded components
In order to receive academic credit, students must complete the following assignments in this course:
Detailed information about these assessments are provided two weeks before the virtual program start.
- SDG Start-up Challenge Project team presentation (live presentation via zoom together with teams members and presentation submitted to client and program provider via email)
- Goalkeeper presentation (individual presentation about one of the 17 SDGs which is also presented live via zoom in front of the group)
- Writing a self-reflection paper including a review of the following book: Yunus, Muhammad with Weber, Karl 2011: “Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs” (5-8 pages)
- Leading 1-2 experiential learning debrief sessions with your SDG Start-up Challenge Project team members
- Attendance and participation during the experiential learning debrief sessions, virtual visits and virtual cultural activities.
Detailed information about these assessments are provided two weeks before the virtual program start.
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Eligibility
General Eligibility
Students must:
Students must:
- have a UniSA Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 or above
- have no more than 9 failed units in the program in which you are currently enrolled
- at point of application, you must have completed and passed at least 18 units of your current program for UG students and 9 units for PG students
- be receiving at least 4.5 units credit, or meeting a mandatory program requirement, in recognition of your virtual mobility program
Additional Grant Eligibility
Students must:
- be an Australian citizen
- must be able to get approval from your Program Director that a minimum of 4.5 units credit will be awarded towards your current program for your overseas study, or be meeting a program requirement
- be undertaking a Bachelor Degree or Bachelor Honours Degree
Please read the eligibility requirements before applying. Applications that do not meet the general eligibility requirements will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If you wish to discuss your eligibility please contact short.programs@unisa.edu.au
UniSA Online Testimonials
What have past participants said about the UO SDG Virtual Study Tour
“I enjoyed the whole program, from the beginning till the end. There was not one moment when I re-evaluated my decision of opting for this internship. It was engaging, fun and was full of knowledge. I loved meeting with the guest speakers and listening to their experiences/stories. As a whole, this program was one big success. Hats off to Janina and Andreas!!!” - UniSA Online 2021 participant
“I really enjoyed listening to the different speakers because it gave me a greater understanding of the goals in action and not just words on a page. I'm glad that we were able to engage and ask questions and get a deeper understanding of each start up. I also really enjoyed the engagement from Janina and Andreas, they delivered the program in a very fun and energetic way which made it super easy to follow along, I felt that they had been doing this program virtually for years. I think the program is a great fit for us students who study 100% online. The timing worked across different time zones and accounted for our busy lives. This was a great program which made me feel like I was finally able to engage with my peers at university and not just doing it alone.” - UniSA Online 2021 participant
“I enjoyed the sessions each Mon and Tues. it gave me something to look forward to as being an online student can get quite lonely, I enjoyed the support received from both Janina and Andreas and will miss seeing them every week! Very sad this course has ended but I'm very thankful I have joined as it has pushed me out of my comfort zone and has encouraged me to not be afraid to try new things:) People & Friends did amazing and I can't really think of anything to improve on. I thought the whole course and support was fantastic. It was so refreshing seeing teachers so enthusiastic about their content and so excited each session. This was life changing for me and is certainly something I will never forget, thank you both Janina and Andreas again so much. Hopefully our paths cross again soon!” - UniSA Online 2021 participant
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Questions?
Feel free to get any touch with any questions you might have.
Email us at short.programs@unisa.edu.au
Email us at short.programs@unisa.edu.au
