A United Nations academic impact global hub: Embedding sustainability throughout a forensic science degree programme

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by the United Nations to improve lives around the world [1]. The SDGs have a focus on cultural, ethical, environmental and social issues, as well as lifelong learning, reduced inequalities, wellbeing, and health. De Montfort University (DMU) is the only higher education institution in the United Kingdom to be a designated global United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) hub for a Sustainable Development Goal. DMU is the hub for SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities; with a commitment to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. In this case study of our professional practice, we showcase examples of how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is embedded into the forensic science programme at DMU. This includes results from a small-scale pedagogic research study which explored the use of six sustainability themes to communicate ESD. Findings suggest that ESD needs to be related, and aligned, to specific subject areas e.g., forensic science, for it to translate to students and be transformative. In addition, we present a discussion of the successful DMUglobal initiative which provides international experiences for forensic science students. We situate this practice within the literature on the pedagogy of international field trips and consider the sustainability and inclusivity implications. Further synchronous and asynchronous SDG activities are outlined, alongside future plans. We hope that the examples presented here will be useful to colleagues delivering forensic science education in considering how they can make their practice more sustainable and inclusive.