Over the past five years, the NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) has recorded a total of 1.606 contributions towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda. 

This is one of the key findings from the new dashboard aimed at monitoring and assessing the institution's contribution to the SDGs. Developed using Power BI software, this new tool allows everyone within the NOVA IMS community – as well as its partner entities – to obtain a quick and reliable overview of the institution's main contributions to these global objectives. 

"By aggregating it’s contributions across various areas and consolidating the information into a single public dashboard, NOVA IMS aims not only to raise awareness within its community but also to reinforce its commitment to sustainable practices, bridging Higher Education and Sustainability. The goal is to provide the public with a transparent, clear, and detailed analysis," explains Matilde Simões from NOVA IMS's Digital Transformation department, the unit responsible for this project. 

The new platform, launched on Earth Day, can be accessed here, where all initiatives implemented by the School aligned with the 17 UN SDGs can be viewed across various dimensions of NOVA IMS's activities: from educational programs and project development to thesis writing and research activities. 

NOVA IMS's main contributions include: 

• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth (17.9%) 

This goal aims to promote sustainable economic growth and decent work for all. NOVA IMS supports it through educational programs that equip students with relevant skills for a dynamic job market and research projects focused on sustainable economics and employability. 

• SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (15.6%) 

Focusing on resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization, NOVA IMS promotes this goal by integrating technology and innovation into curricula and collaborating with industry to develop technological solutions that strengthen industrial infrastructure. 

• SDG 4 - Quality Education (11.3%) 

Committed to quality education accessible to all, NOVA IMS develops inclusive educational programs that integrate pedagogical advancements to optimize educational outcomes. 

From idea to realization 

This tool focused on the SDGs was developed through an initiative led by a former NOVA IMS student, Iara Chande. Iara explains how it all began: "Combining the skills I acquired in the Information Management bachelor's program at NOVA IMS with my professional experience in reporting, I realized it would be interesting to develop a project as my master's final work. With the support of Professor Miguel Neto, the idea of creating a dashboard to monitor the SDGs' contribution emerged, aiming to help the school become aware of its impact and identify areas for improvement to be recognized as an 'exemplary' institution in achieving the UN's 2030 Agenda goals." 

From the idea to realization, Iara Chande faced several challenges, with data collection being the main one. "At the time, despite the school having some available information on the topic, it was either insufficient or lacked the necessary quality. Therefore, questionnaires were developed for data collection, resulting in a more time-consuming process," she says. 

The importance of the theme and NOVA IMS's alignment with sustainability commitment led the project to scale up. Elvira Costa, responsible for NOVA IMS's Documentation Services, played a crucial role. "The concern to follow and implement the SDGs already existed at NOVA IMS through scientific publications, but it was important to also bring this awareness to master's theses and, later on, to all NOVA IMS activities that could be classified according to the SDGs." 

It's worth noting that this initiative stems from NOVA IMS's commitment – reflected in the motto 'Data With Purpose' – to be an intelligent and sustainable school, concerned with creating added value for society and developing solutions that not only respond to real-world challenges but also improve people's quality of life.