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DEV42600

Academic Year 2026/2027

Global Affairs & Sust Futures (DEV42600)

Subject:
Development Studies
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Politics & Int Relations
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Patrick Paul Walsh
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

In 2015, the world came together to adopt an ambitious plan for global development: the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Subsequent global shocks and setbacks, however, have increasingly underscored our shared vulnerabilities and hindered our progress towards a peaceful, prosperous, equitable and sustainable future. International cooperation and collective action are needed more than ever; yet our existing systems of multilateral engagement weren’t designed for the complex, interconnected, and rapidly-changing world in which we live.
It’s time for the United Nations to turbocharge.
In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued Our Common Agenda, his vision for the future of international cooperation. Our Common Agenda aims to “turbocharge” action on the SDGs and, most poignantly, presents practical recommendations to transform global governance for the 21st century. Its publication started a conversation that will culminate in September 2025 at the World Social Summit where all countries will recommit to the UN charter and trust in multilateralism. The Summit of the Future in 2024 is an important step towards reinvigorating multilateralism where UN Member States will deliberate on three global compacts to transform international cooperation up to 2030 and beyond.
To support this vision and inform the Summit, the Secretary-General has released 12 thematic policy briefs to provide more detail on proposals for the Summit and aid Member States as they prepare for deliberations. The topics of these 12 policy briefs have been further condensed into five Chapters for the Summit, namely: Financing, Peace and Security, Digital Cooperation, Youth and Future Generations, and Global Governance.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

The Summit of the Future marks a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reframe global governance for the future. Revitalizing Multilateralism for a Sustainable Future is designed to help you understand and prepare for it.
In this unique course, Patrick Paul Walsh will guide learners through the past, present, and future of the global development agenda, examining the five Chapters, 12 policy briefs, and three Compacts with the aid of renowned leaders in the field of sustainable development. Through recorded videos from the prestigious Global Classroom lecture series and other high-profile fora, learners will hear from experts in global governance, finance, digital transformation, and more, and consider the Summit of the Future in light of their insights.

How do we cooperate better to deliver on our shared goals? How do we better meet the needs of the present while also preparing for the challenges of the future?

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction to Our Common Agenda .
At the Midpoint of the SDGs .
Pact of the Future
The Five Chapters
A. Chapter 1: Financing
Introduction
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 4: Beyond GDP
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 6: International Finance Architecture
B. Chapter 2: Peace and Security
Introduction
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 9: A New Agenda for Peace
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 7: For All Humanity – the Future of Outer Space Governance
C. Chapter 3: Digital Future
Introduction
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 5: Global Digital Compact
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 8: Information Integrity
D. Chapter 4: Youth and Future Generations
Introduction
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 1: To Think and Act for Future Generations
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 10: Transforming Education
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 3: Meaningful Youth Engagement in Policy and Decision-making Processes
E. Chapter 5: Global Governance Reform
Introduction
Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 2: Emergency Platform
. Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 11: UN 2.0
The Three Compacts
1, Pact for the Future - Overall
2. Declaration on Future Generations - links to Chapter 4
3 Global Digital Compact - links to Chapter 3
Conclusion: Enhancing multilateralism and the 2nd World Social Summit in 2025
Reform and Beyond 2030

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

End poverty in all its forms everywhere 5

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 4

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 5

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 5

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 1

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 1

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 4

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 4

Reduce inequality within and among countries 5

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 1

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 3

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 5

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 3

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss 3

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 5

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development 5
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

200
Lectures

22
Total

222

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Module Approaches to Teaching and Learning0
Active/task-based learning; lectures; critical writing; ; enquiry & problem-based learning; debates; case-based learning; student and presentations.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Essay Week 7 Graded No
60
 No
Exam (In-person): Exam Week 12 Graded No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback individually to students, post-assessment This can be through different approaches such as oral, audio, video and/or written/annotated feedback, either in-class, out of class, in meetings, through the VLE, by email, using rubrics, etc.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
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