Campus news
HEC Montréal invited to play a leadership role within the United Nations academic network
September 10, 2026
HEC Montréal has been chosen to serve until December 2030 as the Vice-Chair for Outreach and Partnership of the hub dedicated to Sustainable Development Goal 9 (SDG 9) of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) initiative.
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A meeting at HEC Montréal bringing together representatives from Quebec institutions to discuss sustainable development practices and challenges.
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Photo credit : Vincent Noel
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Students in the “Climate Leadership: Toward a Net-Zero Economy” cycling course, which combines active transportation with hands-on learning.
This appointment establishes HEC Montréal as one of the chosen institutions to actively contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 9 at a global level. The aim of this goal is to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and support innovation.
HEC Montréal will carry out this mandate alongside Mount Kenya University (Kenya), which serves as the SDG Hub 9 Chair, La Salle – Ramon Llull University (Spain), Vice-Chair for Teaching and Education, and Nagaoka University of Technology (Japan), Vice-Chair for Research.
Recognition of HEC Montréal’s expertise
In its appointment letter, the UN highlights HEC Montréal’s steadfast commitment to promoting Sustainable Development Goals, due in large part to its community outreach and engagement initiatives as well as its social and environmental projects.
The organization also highlights the School’s contribution to the ambitions of SDG 9 and entrusts it with a leading role in the development of partnerships and outreach activities aimed at advancing this goal on a global scale.
HEC Montréal’s appointment as Vice-Chair was determined through a global selection process involving 340 institutions of higher education.
“This recognition from the United Nations is at once a great honor for HEC Montréal and a tremendous responsibility. It demonstrates our School’s unwavering commitment to sustainable development and gives us the opportunity to contribute more significantly to international initiatives. Such a privileged role will allow us to strengthen our collaborations, pool our expertise with that of our UNAI network partners and foster the sharing of knowledge to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.”
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Camille Grange, Executive Director, Sustainable Transition Office, HEC Montréal
A strategic role at the UNAI SDG Hub 9
The UNAI SDG Hub network brings together 17 thematic hubs, each dedicated to one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Their mission is to mobilize academic institutions and their partners to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- As Vice-Chair for Outreach and Partnership, HEC Montréal’s contribution will mainly involve:
fostering the sharing of knowledge and the development of collaborations among UNAI network members; - strengthening the links between universities, governments, civil society organizations and the private sector to advance the Sustainable Development Goals;
- promoting the exchange of best practices and capacity building within the network;
- supporting the implementation of SDG 9-related activities, events and initiatives;
- bringing together research, public policy and practices that promote sustainable development.
About the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) initiative
UNAI is a United Nations initiative that connects over 1,800 institutions of higher education across more than 150 countries. This global network mobilizes member institutions to support the UN’s purposes and principles, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution. By nurturing exchanges between student, academic and scientific communities, UNAI contributes to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and finding solutions to major global challenges.
