Multiple Case Studies of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) integration into Curriculum Design and Research at Higher Education – A Preliminary Study

A 3-Step Approach To Integrate SDGs into Curriculum Design and Research

Since 2015, the United Nations sets out an inclusive plan for achieving a better future for all Unite Nation’s countries — laying out a path over the next 15 years to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the environment. At the heart of the 2030 Agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, officially known as Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the plan of action for People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership with objective of LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND. (UNDP, 2015)

In response national education accreditation organizations and higher education institutions initiated transformational change since 2015. Curriculum reviews were scheduled to consider SDG inventories integration into teaching and learning aiming for inclusion of sustainability into curriculum. From the research perspective, universities have to include SDGs in research areas and communicate them to researchers.

Multiple case studies have been published and presented by universities and researchers as to how the SDG inventories are tracked and reported. A review of these published case studies indicated a similar pattern of integration to integrate SDG goals into curriculum design and research. A mapping strategy is applied to recognise existing contributions of the university which leads to identification of gaps, opportunities, and contributors of SDG goals through multiples research, teaching and learning activities and social activities.