Mobilising the Sustainable Development Goals Through Universities: Case Studies of Sustainable Campuses in Malaysia

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly paves the way forward for planet, people and prosperity—an Agenda that replaced the Millennium Development Goals, to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs consist of 17 goals, 169 targets and 232 indicators. Essentially the goals exist to address sustainability holistically, covering all dimensions including economic, social, cultural and ecological. The United Nations has identified Goal 4: Quality Education as one of the main drivers in achieving the Agenda. This paper focuses on specifically Target 4.7: Education for sustainable development and global citizenship. Universities play a vital role in engaging youth and generating knowledge and expertise in understanding and implementing the SDGs. This paper explores the role of universities in ensuring the SDGs are met, as a mobilizing catalyst for accelerated implementation, as well as case studies of sustainable campuses in Malaysia that showcase the community and student outreach projects, in line with the SDGs, such as the Bicycle Project at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, Kompos to Kelulut (K2K) at the Universiti Sains Malaysia and Sunway Youth for Sustainable Development at Sunway University, Malaysia. The case studies show that education goes beyond the formal curricula, emphasizing on soft skills and critical thinking—a major component of and contributor towards pro-environmental behaviour. A set of recommendations are included to address limitations in the study.