Food Insecurity within Global Higher Educational Institutions.

Public participation and public sociology can help address student food insecurity by shifting the crisis from a private struggle to a visible, collective issue. Public sociology brings academic research into the community to expose the deep socioeconomic and historical roots of hunger in higher educational institutions in the Global South and Global North. Beyond this human right, students at tertiary educational institutions are more likely to be food insecure than other population groups Immigrant students in particular often experience food insecurity and are marginalised because of socio-economic challenges, youth unemployment, continual inflation, the international monetary exchange rate and their limited scholarship stipends.

Through public participatory initiatives, international universities and colleges can establish community-led food hubs, campus gardens, and collaborative policy forums to support the development of citizens internationally. Research has indicated that university students in Australia and the United States of America are becoming increasingly food insecure.

Public participatory initiatives and public sociology as a discourse can empower students to act as co-researchers and decision-makers rather than passive recipients of aid. By engaging directly with students, policymakers, and civil society, this approach fosters public participation, giving affected students a platform to co-design solutions. Together, they can transform empirical data into grassroots advocacy and structural policy reforms, making university campuses more equitable and food-secure. To what extent has this initiative been effective? This session welcomes studies that reflect empirical and secondary data from the global North and South and literature reviews, which can enhance a holistic perspective of this global challenge.