Reinventing Universities for SDG: Redressing the Ambitions

Prominent Thai universities are increasingly stepping into the role of localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and empowering youth communities through strategic partnerships with various stakeholders. This collaborative approach not only enhances the educational experience but also fosters a culture of sustainability that resonates within local communities.
Under the concept of Reinventing Universities, this “University Reinvention Project” is to promote the role of higher education institutions as partners for sustainable development by leveraging their strengths as hubs of diverse knowledgeable and skilled human resources, as well as sources of knowledge, research, technology, and innovation that can be shared with society and applied to solve the country’s sustainable development challenges. Furthermore, this aligns with the current shift in direction and policy of higher education in Thailand, where the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation has implemented a policy to reform Thai higher education under the aforementioned concept. This aims to enable Thai higher education institutions to utilize their capabilities and potential efficiently and drive change in a new direction.
Universities serve as pivotal institutions for disseminating knowledge and conducting research, making them essential players in achieving the SDGs. As highlighted by SDSN’s initiative to reinvent universities for SDGs, ‘we develop the capacity of key university personnel responsible for sustainability to have the knowledge, understanding, and tools for driving SDGs at the local level and this is called ‘Training for Trainers’. These trainers then can incorporate SDGs into their curricula, thus equipping students with the skills needed to tackle complex sustainability challenges. Moreover, finding solutions to complex sustainable development problems can be done through integrated transdisciplinary research processes. It aims to address global challenges leading to the development of innovations and technologies that address sustainable development issues. This integration is crucial, as it aligns with educational objectives with global sustainability goals, ensuring that students are prepared to contribute meaningfully to their communities.
Another notable aspect of the initiative is “Youth Leaders for Localizing SDGs”. Because there is so much potential in student leaders from various universities in Thailand, the program is thus specifically designed to engage these youth leaders through both online and onsite trainings to learn from and collaborate with experts to create projects that utilize the SDGs locally. Such programs empower them to take active roles in their communities, fostering a sense of agency and responsibility towards sustainable development.
In addition to that, effective localization of SDGs requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders involved. Universities must collaborate with local governments, private sectors, and civil society organizations to create a comprehensive approach to sustainability. This cooperation can take various forms, including joint research projects, community service initiatives, and shared resources for sustainability education. One of the formats we have already achieved is organizing a webinar to exchange knowledge on promoting youth roles in driving sustainable development, in collaboration with the SDSN networks abroad namely Ateneo de Manila University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The webinar was titled “Incubating Sustainable Solutions” and featured expert speakers who work to promote and support youth roles in addressing sustainability issues. These speakers presented and shared their approaches from each country and engaged in a Q&A session with the participants.
Reinventing Universities for SDG development initiative is mainly to promote the role of higher education institutions as partners for sustainable development by leveraging their strength as center of diverse human resources with knowledge and expertise, as well as being repositories of such knowledge, research, technology, and innovation that can be shared with society and applied to solve the country’s sustainable development challenges. One of the policy recommendations we speak on everyone’s behalf is that we would like to push for policies and promote Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Thai university curricula. ESD is an educational approach that fosters the development of learners with knowledge and skills in sustainability. This benefits students by aligning with future job market needs and benefits society by creating sustainable change agents.