Global Challenges: Media, Democracy and Sustainable Futures

Issued on 03 Mar 2026 by

University of Galway

This module examines how global challenges such as disinformation, democratic decline, inequality and climate change intersect with media power and public communication. Students engage with comparative international case studies, sustainability communication and critical analysis of media systems, platforms and public narratives across different political and cultural contexts. They work in international teams to research audiences and design a collaborative communication campaign linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, while reflecting on the ethical role of media and communication in supporting democratic resilience and sustainable societies. This badge indicates that the student can analyse how media and communication shape public understanding of global challenges, compare how issues are framed across different regions, and apply critical and ethical judgement to communication in complex global contexts. To earn this badge the student must: • Attend and actively participate in seminars and international collaborative sessions. • Contribute to comparative international research and intercultural discussions on global challenges. • Complete a group communication campaign project aligned with a specific SDG. • Submit an individual policy brief or critical assignment analysing media, democracy and sustainability in a global context.

Issuer

University of Galway

celt@universityofgalway.ie

University of Galway was established in 1845 and ranks in the top 2% of universities worldwide, with strong research activity and a commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.

Criteria

Adaptability: Adapted to intercultural virtual collaboration, comparative research tasks and international project work within a structured global learning environment.

Empathy: Developed a nuanced understanding of how global challenges are experienced differently across regions through intercultural dialogue, audience research and comparative case studies.

Ethical Awareness: Applied ethical and critical judgement when evaluating media systems, sustainability communication and democratic resilience across diverse societal contexts.

Global Citizenship: Engaged in structured international collaboration and comparative research to analyse how global challenges such as disinformation, inequality and climate change are framed across different political and cultural contexts.

Self-awareness: Reflected critically on personal assumptions about media, democracy and sustainability when analysing global challenges across diverse cultural contexts.