Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Goal 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

RMIT understands that local and global partnerships are crucial for achieving the SDGs. Enhancing these collaborations fosters innovation for sustainable development and positively impacts our community.

Partnerships are central to RMIT's approach to creating positive social, environmental and economic impact. 

The University collaborates with governments, industry, community organisations, research institutions and international partners to address complex global challenges and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Through shared knowledge, research, education and innovation, RMIT works across disciplines, sectors and regions to deliver solutions that create meaningful and lasting change.

Highlights of recent SDG 17 aligned activity are included below, with more information available in our 2025 Sustainability Annual Report (PDF 13 MB), with our 11 years of reporting progress outlined on the Sustainability Annual Report webpage.

Broader sustainability contributions are also highlighted in our organisational Annual Report, which are tabled in the Victorian Parliament.

2025 Case Studies

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In 2025, RMIT Europe established a new partnership agreement with the Norman Foster Foundation, expanding collaboration in education and research focused on sustainable cities. 

The partnership brings together expertise from academia, design and industry to explore solutions for urban sustainability and liveability. It demonstrates how international partnerships can support knowledge exchange and innovation to address shared global challenges.

RMIT Vietnam's Sustainability Impact Challenge brought together students, academics and industry partners to co-design solutions for sustainability challenges in Vietnam. 

In 2025, the initiative attracted 442 student registrations from more than 50 universities and involved five partner universities and six academic collaborators. 

By fostering cross-sector collaboration and supporting emerging leaders, the Challenge demonstrates how partnerships can create positive social and environmental impact at scale.

In 2025, RMIT played a leading role in the ProSPER.Net Sustainability Forum, bringing together universities, sustainability practitioners and researchers from across the Asia-Pacific region to share knowledge and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Held on World Environment Day, the forum explored how universities can integrate sustainability into campus operations, research, education and community engagement. RMIT staff and partners showcased initiatives such as using campuses as living laboratories, embedding circular economy principles into teaching and strengthening partnerships that support sustainable development. 

Through international collaboration and knowledge exchange, RMIT is helping universities across the region learn from one another and scale solutions that contribute to a more sustainable future.

2024 Case Studies

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RMIT University’s Yulendj Weelam Lab, part of the Architecture and Urban Design School, collaborates with design professionals to shape a reconciled future for Australia’s built environments. With increasing demand from public and commercial sectors to engage First Peoples and integrate their deep connection to Country,
RMIT’s Dr Jock Gilbert highlights the challenges design practitioners face in engaging respectfully with Indigenous communities.

To address these challenges, Gilbert, along with Dr Christine Phillips, established the Yulendj Weelam Design Research Lab with N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs, Barkandji scholar Sophia Pearce, and Gamilaraay academic Beau de Belle. The lab promotes collaboration and understanding of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge.

Gilbert emphasises the obligation of non-Indigenous designers to engage in reconciliation by building relationships with Indigenous knowledge-holders. The lab advocates for the concept of ‘unburdening’, encouraging non-Indigenous people to undertake much of the work to relieve First Nations Peoples.

As part of the City North Fest – Shared Future Series, ‘Reworlding: Cardigan Commons’ turned Cardigan Street into a live-action, street-wide climate futures game.

Set in a speculative 2050 Melbourne, participants explored the impacts of climate change and rapid urban growth by collaboratively building a new neighbourhood following a fictional City AI collapse.

Over two days, players joined forces to tackle climate challenges, and co-design urban solutions using resource systems and modular infrastructure developed with RMIT Future Play Lab and Regen Melbourne. The event fostered hands on learning in regeneration, governance, and resilience through immersive, creative play.

Supported by the City of Melbourne, RMIT Policy, Strategy and Impact, and RMIT Culture, the event demonstrated the value of playful futures as a tool for civic imagination, environmental education, and participatory urban design.

In June 2024, RMIT University hosted the Jean Monnet Network Conference titled "Time is Running Out! Systemic, Disruptive Innovation to Achieve the SDGs."

This pivotal event focused on European studies and global policy challenges, bringing together leading academics, policymakers, and industry experts to address urgent issues impacting Europe and the world.

The conference featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops on topics such as economic integration, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion. Participants explored innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to tackle these challenges, emphasizing the need for systemic and disruptive innovation.

RMIT's hosting of the Jean Monnet Network Conference underscored its commitment to fostering international dialogue and academic exchange.

By engaging diverse perspectives and promoting knowledge sharing, the event contributed to advancing understanding of European affairs and global policy, reinforcing RMIT's role as a leader in international education and research.

SDG Alignment Mapping Overview

As reported in the 2025 Sustainability Annual Report, there were 349 course units and 1,147 research projects aligned with SDG 17 in 2025, representing a wide range of partnerships for the goals resulting in significant outcomes. 

Other SDG alignment insights are captured in the data below.

349 Course Units

1147 Research Projects

142 International Research Partnerships

198 Publications

  RMIT Global Average
Publications in Top 25% Journal Percentiles by SIR (%) 82.5 62.0
Citations per Publication 4.5 2.5
Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) 2.0 51%
National Contribution (%) 5.0% N/A
International Collaboration  56.9 26.0
Developing Country Collaboration (%) 51% N/A
Low to Lower-Middle Income Country Collaboration (%) 25% N/A

Research Projects and Initiatives Over the Years

The following research projects have been specifically aligned to Sustainable Development Goal 17 and the aim to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Finance. These projects and initiatives are examples of the University’s contribution to the SDGs.

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Australian Urban Observatory

The Australian Urban Observatory (AUO) is a new digital liveability planning tool, developed by our team from RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research, which has been specifically designed to support decision makers prioritise actions to promote health and wellbeing in their communities.

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Improved Urban Systems for Liveability

This project investigates how major cities function and the effects of their land-use, housing and infrastructure systems on the humans that live in them.

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Aquatic Pollution Prevention Partnership

The aims of this research partnership between Melbourne Water and RMIT University is to help prevent aquatic pollution.

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Animation in Cambodia

Animation in Cambodia is a project delivered jointly with the NGOs FutureSense & Challenges Abroad.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples