The 2nd CES Conference 2024: "Unlocking Social Impact"

Establishing the materiality of data is a central function of financial accounting. Material data are that which is necessary for an investor to make an informed decision on the financial performance expressed in organizational accounts. Ensuring that all material data are included in public accounts is one important function of the reporting and audit process. A related function of financial accountingis to estimate the riskiness of an investment with respect to the likelihood that an expected futurere turn will be achieved. This is usually expressed as ‘r’ and determines both the expected return and the discount rate on future cashflows. However, in impact measurement and management, both materiality and risk are currently poorly conceptualized. In this case, material data is that which isnecessary to make an informed decision on the outcomes performance expressed in impact reports. The question of material for whom is more complicated than in finance since the impact investor maynot be the most significant stakeholder to make judgments on impact performance. Similarly, impactrisk is an estimate of the likelihood of an expected outcome being achieved, but this also needs to be framed by materiality judgments of risky for whom? This talk examines some dimensions of impact materiality and risk with examples.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are connected to higher education (HE) in multiple ways:education, research, employment for implementing the SDGs, capacity building, mobilising learners, research, technological innovations, and contributions to civic, societal, and community-level initiatives. Despite these multifaceted connections, integrating the SDGs into higher education institutions (HEIs) functions has proven to be a challenging task that only a limited number of universities have successfully addressed. Consequently, academics who promote sustainability face difficulties at both the macro level (organizational culture) and the micro level (teaching and learning). With the 2030 deadline set by the United Nations for learners to acquire the necessary skills toadvocate for the SDGs fast approaching, dedicated academics are turning to activism and advocacy. This presentation explores these challenges through a personal narrative and critical analysis.