Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.

Working in partnership both locally and globally, we are tackling each of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through our research and knowledge exchange, education and student experience, and through our operations. Discover how our unique commitments align with and support Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the goals.

Research and impact

The University advances SDG 17 by driving global partnerships that generate research excellence, policy impact, and capacity building. In 2025, new strategic agreements were signed with McMaster University (Canada), the Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad, and three institutions in Shanghai, alongside long-standing collaborations with the University of Georgia and Sumy State University (Ukraine). These partnerships expand joint research, student mobility, and staff exchange (17.6, 17.9). Liverpool also announced its first international campus in Bengaluru, India, opening in 2026, which will welcome undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts into a global learning environment. Cross-sector collaborations translate research into impact. Partnerships with Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland, the Manufacturing Technology Centre, and Northern Gritstone (17.16, 17.17) support health innovation, advanced manufacturing, and investment in research-driven spinouts. The Liverpool Institute of Child Health and Wellbeing, launched with Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, integrates academic and clinical expertise to address health inequalities. Global research programmes such as CLEAN-Air(Africa), which informs clean energy policy across multiple African states, and Climate Futures, which advises governments and industry on climate adaptation, further reinforce Liverpool’s role as a world leader in building partnerships for the SDGs.

Sustainable campus and operations

The University embeds SDG 17 into its operational and civic practices through strategic, multi-stakeholder partnerships at regional, national, and global levels. Through these partnerships, Liverpool actively contributes to building a greener, healthier, and fairer society, aligning institutional operations with the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Nationally, the University collaborates with Sizewell C nuclear power station, contributing to delivering low-carbon electricity for around six million homes, and with the Manufacturing Technology Centre to accelerate UK-wide innovation in sustainable technologies (17.16, 17.17). As a civic anchor, Liverpool plays a central role in Knowledge Quarter Liverpool, working with 40+ civic and industry partners to drive innovation, reduce economic inequalities, and foster inclusive growth (SDG 17.16). Demonstrating institutional leadership in global collaboration, Liverpool is also a founding partner in an £8 million research centre on equitable low-carbon living, which unites universities, industry, and government to enable just transitions in energy and urban systems (17.17). Liverpool’s global accountability is reinforced through its role as a signatory to the SDG Accord, aligning the University with international sustainability frameworks and ensuring transparent reporting, such as the publication of the annual SDG Report (17.16, 17.18).

Education and student experience

The University equips students to become global change-makers through education and experiential learning that directly supports SDG 17. Modules such as Business Ethics, Responsible Business and Sustainability explore how multinational corporations engage with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, preparing students to build responsible partnerships across sectors (17.16, 17.17). The Global Public Health Pathway within the MPH programme develops interdisciplinary skills for tackling health inequalities and advancing international collaborations (17.9, 17.17). In 2025, over 150 students joined the Cross-Border Enterprise Challenge, co-developing entrepreneurial solutions with universities in India and Africa to address clean energy and equitable healthcare (17.16, 17.17). Enactus Liverpool engages students with a global network of over 4,000 youth across UK and Ireland universities, contributing to projects that positively impact more than 15,000 people annually, showcasing the potential of student-led collaboration to mobilise social innovation (17.17). Our Living Lab programme further enables students to co-create sustainability solutions in partnership with staff and external stakeholders, and we are proud to be the only UK signatories of the Joint Declaration on Embracing a Living Lab Approach to Carbon Neutrality (17.17). The Guild of Students strengthens civic engagement through partnerships with local charities across Merseyside, enabling thousands of students to volunteer and lead community-impact projects (17.16, 17.17).

Case studies

Building UK–Ukraine academic resilience

In May 2025, the University’s partnership with Sumy State University was featured at the launch of Pillar 8: Science, Technology, and Innovation of the UK-Ukraine 100-Year Partnership, hosted at the British Academy and attended by UK Minister for Science Patrick Vallance and Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi. The event showcased Liverpool’s twinning programme as a model of sustained international cooperation (17.6, 17.9, 17.16).

Established in 2022, the Liverpool-Sumy partnership has enabled nearly 300 Ukrainian students and staff to continue their education and research through academic exchanges, dual supervision, mentoring schemes, and resource-sharing. At the UK-Ukraine Science and Innovation Showcase, three Ukrainian PhD students co-supervised by Liverpool presented research on renewable energy, dietary transitions, and media regulation in wartime, embedding academic rigour in urgent national priorities.

The partnership extends beyond teaching: Liverpool academics support the UK–Ukraine Academic Mentoring Scheme, contribute to the LinkUA framework for researcher development, and collaborate with policy partners to deliver innovation under extreme constraints. Alumni-led charity Casus Pax, with support from the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, has also facilitated donations of equipment to Sumy.

In May 2024, Liverpool hosted the UK-Ukraine Twinning Conference, bringing together over 200 researchers, students, policymakers, and funders to co-produce recommendations for Ukraine’s research system.

By bringing together measurable outcomes, capacity-building, and public visibility, the Liverpool-Sumy partnership demonstrates how universities can support the resilience of global research ecosystems through sustained cooperation.

University develops Net Zero manifesto for Liverpool City Region

The University of Liverpool’s Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place, in partnership with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Liverpool City Region (LCR), unveiled the "Net Zero Manifesto: Scaling Up Green Prosperity" on 14 May 2024 at Parliament. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to addressing climate challenges through partnerships and policy innovation. The manifesto provides a comprehensive roadmap to drive green growth and maximise the LCR's potential, aligning with the UK’s net zero target by 2050 and the Metro Mayor’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. It calls for stronger government support and greater local autonomy to enhance energy generation, housing, transport, skills development, and innovation—key areas critical to building a sustainable future. Central to the manifesto is the emphasis on partnerships: fostering cooperation between national and local governments, businesses, and academic institutions to create a stable, consistent policy framework that empowers the region. Recommendations include deeper devolution to grant the LCR greater fiscal and policy flexibility, as well as investment in energy infrastructure and skill systems tailored to local needs. The Heseltine Institute, serving as the academic partner for the LCR APPG, plays a pivotal role by providing research insights and supporting advocacy efforts in Westminster. By fostering strategic partnerships, the Net Zero Manifesto aims to shape future government action and mobilise collective efforts, guiding the Liverpool City Region towards a greener, more prosperous future.

Developing long-term partnerships

The University of Liverpool and Sumy State University (SumDU) in Ukraine embarked on a new research collaboration focused on digitalisation and digital transformation, supported by a £197k grant from Universities UK International’s (UUKi) UK-Ukraine R&I twinning grant scheme. Following their partnership established last year, which included hosting Ukrainian students at the University’s International Summer School and providing access to electronic resources and IT support, this new programme aimed to strengthen research links and develop long-term partnerships. The five-month project sought to enhance collaboration in digital economics, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and digital transformation. The initiative involved support for visiting and remote scholarships, knowledge exchange activities, and training programmes. It connected the University of Liverpool’s Digital Innovation Facility, Virtual Engineering Centre, Institute of Digital Engineering and Autonomous Systems, Materials Innovation Facility, and Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy with SumDU’s Faculty of Electronics and Information Technologies, Faculty of Technical Systems and Energy Efficient Technologies, and Institute for Business, Economics, and Management. The funding supports joint projects, knowledge transfer, and equipment provision, creating a deeper collaboration and impacting Ukraine's recovery. The initiative, part of the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative coordinated by Cormack Consultancy and funded by Research England, emphasises ongoing support for Ukraine through academic collaboration.