SDGs

Introduction

Historically, higher education has played a key role in sustainability, with significant milestones such as the 1990 Talloires Network Meeting and the 1992 Halifax Meeting, where global university leaders discussed their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future. These gatherings led to collaborative action plans that emphasized the need to address environmental degradation, poverty, and unsustainable behaviors. The 2015 adoption of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) marked a shift, placing universities at the heart of Agenda 2030, recognizing their role in scientific research, technological advancements, and shaping future leaders. As globally connected institutions, universities are essential in driving the SDGs through research, education, and partnerships, making a lasting impact on communities and promoting sustainability. Despite challenges, institutions like Ethiopia’s University of Applied Sciences are integrating sustainability into their curricula to align with the SDGs and foster sustainable practices.

Integrating SDGs in HEIs: relevance and practice

The United Nations’ “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” outlines a global blueprint for addressing critical challenges such as poverty, economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability through 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals aim to create systemic changes in the way societies and economies operate, and their success hinges on education, research, and leadership. Universities, as centers of knowledge creation and dissemination, are essential to achieving the SDGs. By integrating the SDGs into their missions, universities not only contribute to global sustainability but also position themselves as leaders in responsible, globally aware education.

The academic community is increasingly recognizing the SDGs’ importance, as universities have historically driven innovation, economic development, and societal well-being. Given their mandate to create and share knowledge, universities have a unique and vital role in addressing the SDGs. Through research, education, and global collaboration, universities can significantly advance the SDG agenda, benefiting both themselves and the broader global community. In embracing the SDGs, universities can ensure that they remain at the forefront of shaping a sustainable, equitable future for all.

The SDGs and universities: mutual benefits

Why the SDG initiatives need universities:

· Providing the knowledge and solutions to underpin the implementation of the SDGs

· Creating current and future SDG implementer

· Embodying the principles of the SDGs through organizational governance, operations and culture

· Providing cross-sectoral leadership in implementation

Why the universities need the SDGs?

· Demonstrating university impact

· Capturing demand for SDG-related education

· Building new external and internal partnerships

· Accessing new funding streams

· Increase universities global responsiveness and visibility

Integrating Sustainable Development Goals in Ethiopian UASs

Universities play a key role in advancing the SDGs through teaching, research, and technology transfer. However, they must take a leading role in implementing these goals, as the SDGs provide a framework for driving structural change and improving well-being at local, regional, and global levels. While teaching, research, governance, and leadership are often treated separately, they are interconnected and can be strengthened through a university-wide approach to the SDGs. The following model shows integrating SDGs in UAS: –

                                    Fig: Model for integrating SDGs in UAS

Education and Training

Education is a foundational pillar of the SDGs, as it directly leads to sustainable development benefits for individuals, communities, and countries. Universities play a key role in supporting SDG implementation through a range of educational activities, including teaching, professional training, and co-curricular engagement.

SDG 4 highlights the need for inclusive and equitable quality education, which is essential for advancing all other SDGs. Universities can contribute by integrating SDGs and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into courses, training curriculum developers and lecturers, offering executive education, advocating for supportive policies, and involving students in creating learning environments that address SDGs. Additionally, universities can structure courses around real-world projects, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to address SDG challenges, while also empowering young people and offering training for capacity building, particularly in developing countries.

Research

Research and innovation across various fields are essential for the successful implementation of the SDGs. Universities, with their research capabilities, play a crucial role in providing knowledge, solutions, and innovations to address complex global challenges. Research helps in understanding SDG challenges, localizing the SDG agenda, developing solutions, evaluating pathways, and supporting the operationalization of the SDG framework.

Universities can promote SDG-related research, support interdisciplinary approaches, incubate sustainable innovations, support local SDG implementation, advocate for national research coordination, and build capacity in developing countries to use research for SDG progress.

Organizational governance, culture and operations of the university

Universities, as large organizations, significantly impact social, cultural, and environmental wellbeing within their campuses and beyond. By addressing the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) through internal policies and operations, universities can play a key role in achieving these goals. Given their size and influence as employers, consumers, and real estate holders, universities affect each of the SDGs, from their campuses to global supply chains.

Many universities are already involved in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and sustainability efforts, and the SDGs provide a framework to align and build on these activities. Governance structures and policies related to employment, finance, campus services, and procurement should align with the SDGs to ensure meaningful action and accountability.

Actions universities can take to get this started include:

· Map how high-level university strategies, policies, plans and reporting indicators align with the SDGs and identify which organizational units are relevant to which SDGs.

· Identify and address any key gaps in the university response across the SDGs.

· Incorporate the SDGs into university organizational reporting.

External Leadership

Achieving the SDGs requires action and collaboration from all sectors (GRI, UNGC & WBCSD, 2015). Universities, both individually and collectively, are uniquely positioned to lead, guide, and support efforts at local, national, and international levels (Nilsson M., 2016). As stated in the UN’s 2015 document, “The future of humanity and of our planet lies in our hands… We have mapped the road to sustainable development.” Achieving the SDGs will require cooperation from governments, parliaments, businesses, and civil society, alongside strong leadership to foster partnerships and mobilize action. The public is also a key stakeholder in identifying priorities and contributing to implementation. Universities, trusted and seen as neutral by society, have a vital role in fostering collaboration and driving SDG efforts through leadership and partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

How can universities engage in leading SDGs with external actors and stakeholders?

· Strengthen public engagement and participation in addressing the SDGs.

· Initiate and facilitate cross-sectoral dialogue and action on SDG implementation.

· Play a lead role in policy development and advocacy for sustainable development.

· Demonstrate the importance of the university sector in SDG implementation.

· Demonstrate university sector commitment to the SDGs.

Requirements and Obstacles for SDGs

Engaging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in teaching, research and management of the campus is an important stand that demands strong commitment and have its own challenges at the same time. Therefore, the plan is to implement small parts of SDGs in the areas of teaching learning, research, governance and so on. Under this consideration the implementation may face many challenges and requirements with different obstacles. Such limitations could be:

· Awareness and understanding

· Top leaders’ commitment

· Resources availability and sources

· The current inflationary market in Ethiopia

· Capacity and technical Know-how

· Time

· Policy framework

Dos and Don’ts for implementing the SDGs

Dos:

• Make environment green and attractive by practice good hygiene by keeping environment clean.

• Fight poverty by expanding and enhancing knowledge and skills.

• Identifications and selections of site for the pilot project.

• Allocate the sites for only the demonstration center

• Use renewable energy sources as a model, switch to energy-efficient appliances and lighting as well as conserve energy.

• Work hard to be productive, and respect labor rights, and support entrepreneurship and innovation to enhance employability of our graduates.

• Focus on infrastructure development.

• Foster innovation and creativity and use technology for good.

• Protect yards and invest on yards to support the green legacy office.

• Collaboration and networking of stakeholders: Work in a team to achieve the goals is very important and must be a part of this toolbox.

Don’ts:

• Wasting materials or resources

• Political interventions

• Waste dumps everywhere

• Partiality

• Discriminations

• Pollute renewable and non-renewable resources

• Neglect infrastructure maintenance

• Corruption

Name:  Demisse Dalelo

email:  demissiedalelo@gmail.com

Nationality: Ethiopian

University: Wolaita Sodo  University

Name: Oumer Nuru(PhD)

email:  oumernur@gmail.com

Nationality: Ethiopian 

University Jigjiga University 

Name: Sead Oumer 

email:   geographysaad@gmail.com

Nationality: Ethiopian 

University: Jigjiga University