The University Social Responsibility Network brought together international universities for its tenth anniversary workshop in Sydney to discuss innovative approaches to promoting social impact and global cooperation.

On October 29, 2025, the University Social Responsibility Network (USRN) Professional Capacity Development Workshop brought together universities from all over the world at UNSW Sydney. In addition to commemorating the USRN's tenth anniversary, the event was significant for UNSW, one of the network's original members and a representative from Oceania.

Delegates from seven member universities attended the workshop to exchange ideas on how to strengthen international cooperation in uncertain times and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

According to Professor Claire Annesley, Dean of UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture, it is a fantastic chance to host the USRN workshop within the first year of their new UNSW Strategy: Progress for All. It shows our mutual dedication to social responsibility for partners, people, and organizations both domestically and globally.

UNSW Strategy: Progress for All reflects our goal of using cutting-edge research, transformative education, and sincere involvement to make a positive impact on the world. The strategy's nine pillars – building social resilience, promoting healthy living, and fostering global networks – are closely tied to the workshop, which demonstrated how universities can work across sectors to effect significant change.

Partnerships like the USRN are becoming more important, according to Professor Verity Firth, Vice-President of Societal Impact, Equity, and Engagement at UNSW, as our industry develops creative ways to fulfill our social obligations. These strategies include engaging with communities, addressing pressing problems, and leveraging academic and student excellence for practical outcomes.

Speakers from UNSW and foreign partners talked about how to help coworkers who are refugees, incorporate the SDGs into everyday university life, and engage communities in the process of co-creating solutions. Participants also discussed how new strategies and university institutional cultures could integrate social responsibility.

Fengshi Wu, Associate Professor of School of Social Sciences, UNSW's representative on the USRN Executive Committee, stated that this network reaffirmed the vital role universities play in upholding international cooperation and building a more secure, equitable future for all.