Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015, describe a universal agenda that applies to all countries. UN members are urged to adopt and implement SDGs policies considering dwindling natural resources and climate change’s effect on sustainable livelihoods and infrastructure. Higher education institutions (HEIs) were called on to take a leadership role, through research and educating students in relation to the goals and by inspiring engagement within their communities. While most universities now address environmental sustainability and/or sustainable development in some form, fewer universities have embedded an integrative or holistic approach to sustainability and the integration of the SDGs in both academic and applied domains. In this chapter, we will present a strategy for an integrative and holistic implementation of SDGs in HEIs, drawing on the case of the American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. Through a higher vision, strategic direction, and collective efforts, AUB was able to surmount big barriers commonly identified in the literature as restricting the implementation of SDGs on university campuses. This was demonstrated by the significant leap made in its worldwide ranking against the global performance tables that assess universities integrating the United Nations’ call on SDGs partnerships. The chapter will make the case for the implementation of SDGs in all the sphere of actions of a HEI, i.e., research and education in the age of Industry 4.0; socio-cultural impact; operations; governance; and external leadership. It will describe the steps taken to formulate a strategic plan for the implementation of SDGs in all these domains by drawing on the case of AUB for inspiration.