Western leads global health and wellbeing cluster to drive Sustainable Development Goals
Western Sydney University has been named the cluster lead for Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), an open network of higher education institutions spanning five continents, supported by the International Association of Universities (IAU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The cluster – to be led by Western’s Professor Kathy W. Tannous from the School of Business, Dr Rocco Cavaleri from the School of Health Science, and Dr Deep Jyoti Bhuyan from National Institute of Complimentary Medicine (NICM) – aims to be a champion for higher education and promote an integrated approach to health, in support of equity and wellbeing worldwide, in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.
This global initiative aligns with Western Sydney University's deep commitment to sustainable development which has been recognised four years in a row as the world’s best for delivering community impact via the prestigious global Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings with recognised Western as the best in the world for ongoing efforts to improve lives, deliver equity and fairness, and safeguard the planet for future generations.
Professor Kathy Tannous said the group were excited and humbled by the appointment.
“We are honoured by the opportunity to collaborate with universities around the world to define the future of the SDG 3 cluster in the coming years. Our collective efforts will focus on addressing critical health issues and promoting inclusive, multi-disciplinary and action-focused teaching and research in health sciences. By leveraging research, innovation, and best practices from diverse regions, we aim to tackle health disparities and enhance the well-being of communities worldwide,” she said.
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research, Professor Ian Anderson, congratulated the team on this prestigious appointment.
“For Western Sydney University to receive the honour of leading this global network is testament to our reputation as a world leader in developing real world impacts and our genuine commitment to a more inclusive and equitable world,” said Professor Anderson.
The IAU SDG 3 cluster for Health and Well-being, Universities for Good Health, launched in 2018, is a network of seven higher education institutions from five continents. This network, along with Western Sydney University, includes Makerere University (Uganda), Universidad de Caldas (Colombia), Universitas Gadjah Mada (Indonesia), Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Mexico), University College Dublin (Ireland), and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) (Spain).
For more information visit: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/sustainable-development/sdg3
ENDS
25 September 2025
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