LONDON, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UK-based education multinational GEDU Global Education has signed an agreement with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), formally committing to operate one of its 32 international training centres located around the world.
The mission of the training centres is to provide capacity building programmes that support the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The agreement was signed at a session of the XXII Annual Steering Committee Meeting of the CIFAL Global Network that took place in London from 9 to 11 December, bringing together over 70 delegates from more than 30 countries. CIFALs are centers specialised in providing professional training for government officials and civil society representatives. The name is a French acronym that stands for Centre International de Formation des Autorites et Leaders.
Throughout the week, delegates formally reviewed the performance of this Network that trained more than 161,000 beneficiaries in 2025, and also adopted a comprehensive capacity building strategy to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs during the next 5 years.
In this framework, GEDU released its inaugural Sustainability Report alongside the UK Minister for AI and Online Safety, Kanishka Narayan, at an event hosted in Parliament by Baroness Verma. The report details the work being done across the group by all its institutions in support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs.
GEDU Group CEO, Dr Vishwajeet Rana said this is a landmark agreement.
“The partnership means we can push on with our sustainability work hand-in-hand with the United Nations, UNITAR and all of the CIFAL centres around the world.
Last week in London, we’ve identified areas for collaboration for 2026, considering how UN 2.0 and the Pact for the Future will shape the UN’s development agenda towards the year 2030, while also agreeing to specific targets and how to achieve them.”
Dr. Rana also mentioned GEDU’s Sustainability Report released with the UK’s Minister for AI and Online Safety.
“The report presents the work being done by our 16 institutions to address all of the SDGs, including the SDG that they have specifically adopted and will lead globally for GEDU. It outlines our ambitions for 2026 and beyond”.
He also added “GEDU’s contribution to UNITAR is global too – it’s not limited to London. With institutions across 16 countries – from Toronto and Tampa in the Americas, across Europe and the Middle East and India, to Brisbane in Asia-Pacific – we are able to bring a global perspective and have a global impact.”
Mr. Alex Mejia, Director of UNITAR’s Division for People and Social Development, also the Head of the CIFAL Global Network, said “This strategic agreement with GEDU is key to build the capacity needed to deliver the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals”.
He added “Many of our CIFAL Centres are hosted at universities, which demonstrates the important role higher education plays in this endeavour, and our commitment to continued partnerships with like-minded institutions.
He added “Having CIFAL London operated by a prestigious organisation like GEDU will facilitate our work to reach 200,000 beneficiaries next year. Its operations across several continents and a truly global scope fill me with tremendous confidence about what we can achieve together in the near future.”
About GEDU:
GEDU Global Education (GEDU) is changing lives through education and making a fundamental difference to living standards and access to learning globally. We have operations in 16 countries, including the USA, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Malta, UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Ireland and Canada.
We offer a range of educational opportunities— from K12 through Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Ph.D., DBA, plus apprenticeships and language schools. Our portfolio has over 80,000 students, covers a wide range of subjects and is characterised by a keen focus on both employability and student experience to maximise return on investment for students. Education is transformative, and this is what drives us.
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