Bringing people together to advance sustainability
To advance the sustainability agenda of the institution , KAUST ’ s President Tony Chan established a Sustainability Working Group ( SWG ) in March 2021 . The SWG is composed of representatives of over 20 departments , teams , academic divisions , and student groups and was tasked on the identification of synergies and collaboration opportunities , outline priority actions to advance the University ' s sustainability agenda , and propose recommendations to assist Senior Leadership in formulating an overarching sustainability vision and action plan .
Brainstorming activity at the Sustainability Working Group Workshop
As a result of the SWG ’ s critical endeavors , the KAUST Sustainability Vision statement was formally announced in March 2022 . The group reconvened again in June 2022 to define the goals , strategies , and the necessary actions for KAUST to realize the released Sustainability Vision . A Sustainability Plan and roadmap for the university are currently being developed .
KAUST enters the THE Impact Rankings
KAUST has officially entered in the overall THE Impact Rankings in 2021 , reporting for four global goals : SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation , SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy , SDG 14 - Life Below Water and SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals .
The rankings aim to be a global performance analysis to assess higher education institutions against the UN SDGs . With a comprehensive methodology encompassing four broad areas - research , stewardship , outreach and teaching - universities can report their contributions by answering specific indicators . As a strong research university , KAUST has set itself apart globally in the research indicators .
Highlights of KAUST THE Impact Rankings 2022 Results
Overall
SDG 6 SDG 7 SDG 14
2 nd
15 th
Energy Research
1st
Water Research nd
2
Overall
Aligning academic curriculum with the SDGs
On a continuous effort to solidify literacy around the SDGs in its academic curriculum , KAUST ’ s Office of the Registrar has embedded dedicated fields for SDG alignment on the university course proposal forms . Since August 2022 , KAUST faculty can now specifically tag what SDGs their courses will address and how , being the information shared with students as part of the course syllabus .
17.3 ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH
KAUST co-signs global statement on UN 2030 Agenda
KAUST joined with 57 universities from 30 countries and regions to release a
joint statement calling for accelerated action for a more sustainable world in 2021 . This marked the first time that leading universities across six continents have made a joint statement on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015 as a shared blueprint for global peace and prosperity . In the statement , university leaders , including KAUST ’ s President Tony Chan , have reaffirmed their institution ’ s commitment to solidarity , resilience and prosperity , and pleaded to work towards a shared vision through education , research , innovation and partnership .
Collaborations for sustainable development dissemination
As part of its strategy to engage with key stakeholders to advance sustainable development ,
KAUST has signed an MoU with Saudi-based wakf AEON Collective in 2022 . The partnership aims to solidify the ties between both institutions by ensuring the joint delivery of strategic projects to advance sustainability education and outreach , research communication and translation in emerging sustainability topics , capacity building , and youth engagement on sustainable development .
1 st
30 th Aquatic Research
2 nd
Hosting youth-led national events for sustainability
KAUST hosted the
Saudi Youth for Sustainability Inaugural Conference ( SYS2022 ) in 2022 . With the theme “ Thriving Together ”, the two-day event aimed to explore how Saudi youth can be active contributors to sustainable development and Vision 2030 through advocacy , education , and technology . With youth representing approximately 70 percent of Saudi Arabia ’ s population , their role in advancing the SDGs becomes instrumental . The conference had the participation of national university students and guests from government , academia and industry . The Saudi Youth for Sustainability has established itself by gathering members from several Saudi universities with the shared goal of promoting youth empowerment through sustainability .
SYS Confernce - Thriving Together In Numbers
15 + 35 450
Activities Speakers
Participating national students and supporters
Participating in global sustainability fora
The
9th edition of the World Sustainability Forum ( WSF ) in 2021 featured a KAUST-organized satellite session entitled “ Circular Carbon Economy : Paving The Way for a Sustainable Future ”. In support of the SDGs , the WSF is an international forum contributing to the global debate on establishing platforms and networks among stakeholders including lawmakers , industry , the general public and academic disciplines , with the aim of bringing structure to the vision of a sustainable world . The KAUST session explored realistic technology options , from the required R & D innovations to industry and government deployments , and commensurate carbon management policies for sustainable development .
39 | KAUST SDG HIGHLIGHT REPORT