29 June 2023
Merits World Population Day Webinar | People—the Next Sustainability Frontier, Held on 11 July 2023


On 11 July 2023, MDPI and the journal Merits (ISSN: 2673-8104) organized a webinar entitled "People—the Next Sustainability Frontier". World Population Day is a United Nations observance that seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, for example, migration, urbanization, education, etc.

The session explored the movement of people, livable cities, the voice and actions of youth, and the role of higher education—all as they relate to sustainability and the sustainable development agenda.

The discussion was wide-ranging and covered a lot of ground as it relates to honoring the dignity of every person and ensuring we work towards a just transition to a more inclusive world. Central to this was understanding the importance of radical collaboration, with businesses, communities, and education providers working to uplift people’s contribution to society. While the issues of unsustainable development are framed at a global level, the panel agreed that local actions are key to creating opportunities for people to thrive and flourish at home and at work. There were clear opportunities to engage youth, with entrepreneurship a key agenda, and to ensure lifelong learning so that economic and civic engagement takes place across the generations. The panel was optimistic that people were indeed the next sustainability frontier, with Merits supporting scholarship in this critical area.

Please note that this webinar is associated with a Special Issue in Merits entitled “People—the Next Sustainability Frontier”. The deadline is 31 December 2023.

You can watch the recorded webinar at the following link: https://youtu.be/o16iYwf8DAM.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

  • Prof. Dr. Wendy M. Purcell, Rutgers School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA;
  • Mr. Brighton Kaoma, Director for Youth Programs, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), New York, USA;
  • Ms. Bakhetsile Mangena, Head of Program, Independent Institute of Education, Sandton, South Africa;
  • Mr. Manuel Lira, EU Climate Pact Ambassador, Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

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