The world is changing, and you can make a real impact

Make a difference in the issues you care most about. Right here, right now. Whether you want to tackle climate change, evolve mental health policies or improve lives with the latest tech, you could make Earth a better place to live.

Want inspiration for where your studies could take you? Let’s look at where our leading researchers are making an impact. 

 

Climate action

Building a sustainable future on Earth starts with you.  

  • Start your journey to building a sustainable future.

    UNSW Business School's Digital Sustainability Hub specialises in helping government and business build smarter sustainable cities, improve biodiversity and promote Information Communication Technology in disadvantaged communities. Founded by Professor Shan Pan, the Hub has pioneered research on digital sustainability with the aim of helping achieve the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.  

  • Interested in leading the way in energy innovation and climate change solutions?  

    UNSW Engineering's Professor Rose Amal, Dr Emma Lovell and Dr Rahman Daiyan have developed technology that converts industrial CO2 waste into useful products like plastic or fuel.  

    The best part? If adopted on a large scale by industry, their research could help the world meet its energy demands while also contributing to the long term goal to solve the climate crisis. Dr Lovell says it would "give the world breathing space as it transitions towards a green economy”. 

  • Make a tangible, global impact where it matters most.  

    Each year, many more people are displaced within their own countries by the impacts of disasters and climate change than by conflict and persecution.  

    Scientia Professor Jane McAdam AO from UNSW Law and Justice is at the forefront of global efforts to ensure their protection. She spearheads research as the Director of UNSW’s Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law - the world’s first research centre in the field, now a globally renowned policy powerhouse.

Mental health & wellbeing

Improve life on Earth through inclusive and equitable wellbeing strategies for all.  

  • Champion diversity, equity and inclusivity in mental health research. 

    Young people from gender and sexual minorities are especially prone to experiencing mental health challenges. For many, it's attributable to rejection at home, in school and the community.

    UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture's Centre for Social Research in Health is tackling this trend by getting under the skin of what support is needed to help younger generations navigate such challenges.  

  • Transform lives through improved mental wellbeing and Aboriginal healthcare.

    The Productivity Commission reported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults were imprisoned at 11 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians in 2019–20. At UNSW Medicine & Health, Professor Kimberlie Dean is working to reverse this trend through improvements to mental healthcare in prison and by supporting the prison-to-community transition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

    The goal? To provide an enhanced service to meet the specific cultural and community-connection needs of Aboriginal men and women being released from prison.  

Humanity & technology

From digital medicine to social robotics, you can transform Earth with technology.

  • Use science and data at UNSW Science to advance our understanding of health and disease.

    AI has the potential to drive transformative impact in digital medicine. UNSW Data Science Hub’s (UDASH) Deputy Director, Associate Professor Fatemeh Vafaee is developing AI to address challenges in digital medicine and cancer diagnostics.

    By combining different types of biological data, she is unravelling the complexity of biological processes to better understand health and disease and enhance the prediction of clinical outcomes.   

  • Foster a more inclusive society through human-robot interactions at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture.

    A team of designers, psychologists, audio consultants and robotics specialists has developed an inclusive sound environment that helps people with neurodiversity enjoy live music.  

    The project is informed by the UNSW’s Creative Robotics Lab’s (CRL) overarching strategy to develop technological systems that improve and enhance the human experience. The CRL’s founder and director, Professor Mari Velonaki, says it’s about democratising and expanding the live space so more people can participate in different social activities.  

Let's get started

The Earth is yours to save, and we’ve made it our main mission to help you save it.

Study with us to join the Mission for Earth Habitation.