OSDG generates insights into SDGs for the European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE)
October 1, 2021
As we continue to actively develop our open-source classification tool, we are looking to apply our methodology and to assist organisations that may be following the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in harnessing the power of their data or research.
Working with leaders in education and training
Together with the European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE), we set out to find out how the work of Network members and outside experts corresponds to the framework of achieving a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030.
The EENEE Network consists of 30 high-profile experts with extensive experience in economic aspects of various types and levels of education and training. The network takes on the role of knowledge broker, adviser, and knowledge disseminator with the aim to inform education economists, policymakers, journalists, and stakeholders of education and training in Europe. EENEE is funded by the Erasmus+ Programme and coordinated by a European research and policy analysis centre, PPMI, one of the partners behind the OSDG project.
Among the key outputs of EENEE are peer-reviewed analytical reports, policy briefs, and responses to ad hoc questions of the European Commission. The reports cover a wide geographical scope (e.g. EU Member States, Switzerland, the UK, Turkey, and the Western Balkan candidate countries), and a broad range of topics, such as Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), higher education, non-formal and informal learning, and more.
Mapping peer-reviewed research to the SDGs
OSDG classified over 100 of the Network’s publications, from 2006 to 2022, with respect to the SDGs. We chose to classify text using the contents of the entire reports, published in PDF format. This approach allowed us to cover enough material for all publications, as opposed to our frequent solution of using research abstracts. In EENEE’s case, report summaries differ in length and coverage of the topic, depending on the Network’s cycle or type of deliverable.
Having inspected the entire content of the report, we return up to three relevant SDG labels, and classify them as having Strong or Moderate relevance.
“Mapping and reporting the contribution of EENEE deliverables to the SDGs reflects how our research efforts align with the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
What we’ve seen so far is that in addition to the evident candidate of Quality Education, we also produce insights relevant to a variety of other Goals, such as Gender Equality, Good Health and Well-being, and more”, says Miroslav Beblavý, Scientific coordinator of the Network.
“Already in the first year of EENEE, we produced a special report on education for sustainable development,“ he added.
In the image below we display an example of how EENEE showcases SDGs for each publication. According to the OSDG methodology, the analytical report “Gender Gaps in Education: Evidence and Policy Implications” by Martina Viarengo is strongly linked to Goal 4– Quality Education, Goal 5 – Gender Equality, and Goal 8 – Clean Water and Sanitation.
“The EENEE network aims to influence positive policy change and ensure access to high-quality education and training. It was a great opportunity for us to give back to this community of experts, and assist them in navigating to what extent their studies reflect the 17 Global Goals“, says Lukas Pukelis, Lead Data Scientist at OSDG.
Discover the SDGs behind your research activities
OSDG is an open-source tool, and we welcome all new ideas on how to improve the tool at our GitHub repository. If you are working on a similar labelling initiative and need assistance with relating your organisation’s or your own work to the SDGs, we invite you to get in touch with our team. We are always eager to find new pro-bono applications of our methodology, or to assist fellow sustainability enthusiasts in their own ventures.
