The United Nations&rsquo Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is one of the most ambitious and important global agreements in recent history. The agenda, with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core, is aimed to address the world&rsquos most pressing challenges &ndash including bringing an end to poverty and achieving economic prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and peace and good governance to all countries and all people by 2030.
The United Nations&rsquo Transforming Our World
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is one of the most ambitious and important global agreements in recent history.
The agenda, with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at its core, is a guide to tackling the world&rsquos most pressing challenges &ndash including ending poverty and bringing economic prosperity, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and peace and good governance to all countries and all people by 2030.
University Engagement in the SDGs
Universities occupy a unique position within society
Universities have a critical role in the achievement of the SDGs and will also greatly benefit from engaging with them
As active institutions in their communities as well as the world at large, being bodies responsible for dissemination of ideas and knowledge production, Universities and academia in general, have a direct responsibility in engaging with the accomplishment of the SDGs.
The SDGs cover a wide range of complex social, economic, and environmental challenges and addressing them will require transformations in how societies and economics function and how we interact with our planet. Education, research, innovation and leadership will be essential in helping society address these challenges, and universities play a central part in this matter. In other words, it is very difficult to imagine that any of the SDGs would be achieved without the real involvement of this sector.
On the other hand, engaging with the SDGs will also greatly benefit universities by helping them demonstrate university impact, capture demand for SDG-related education, build new partnerships, access new funding streams, and define a university that is responsible and globally aware. Moreover, the SDGs place greater demands on the scientific and academic community, of which universities are the main driving power, than did the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which they replace.
How universities can contribute to the SDGs
Education and research are explicitly recognized in a number of the SDGs and universities have a direct role in addressing these. However, the contribution of universities to the SDGs is much broader. Universities can support the implementation of every one of the SDGs as well as the implementation of the SDG framework itself. Some of these main areas of contribution are: 1- Learning and teaching: Providing students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to understand and address the SDGs (broadly &lsquoeducation for sustainable development&rsquo) 2- Research: Providing the necessary knowledge, evidence-base, solutions, technologies, pathways and innovations to underpin and support the implementation of the SDGs by the global community 3- Organizational governance, culture and operations of the university: Implementing the principles of the SDGs through governance structures and operational policies and decisions, such as those relating to employment, finance, campus services, support services, facilities, procurement, human resources, and student administration 4- External leadership: strengthening public engagement and participation in addressing the SDGs initiating and facilitating cross-sectoral dialogue and action ensuring higher education sector representation in national implementation helping to design SDG based policies and demonstrating sector commitment to the SDGs.
Egypt is committed to progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Egypt&rsquos Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS), Egypt Vision 2030, is in line with SDGs. The national strategic plan&rsquos three dimensions (economic, social and environmental) are covering broadly the SDGs. The plan provides programs, policies and measurable indicators which clearly direct Egypt toward sustainable development. |  |