SDG-Focused Courses (17.4.2)

Dedicated full-degree or elective courses addressing sustainability and the SDGs.

Introduction:

Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) demonstrates a strong and systematic commitment to sustainability education through the development and delivery of full-degree programs and elective courses directly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These SDG-focused courses are intentionally designed to strengthen students’ sustainability literacy, environmental responsibility, social innovation, and capacity for solving global and local challenges. They integrate theory, practical application, and community impact, ensuring that graduates are equipped with the competencies needed for the green and digital transitions.

Between 2023 and 2025, AAU significantly expanded its SDG-oriented curriculum through:

full-degree programs embedding sustainability principles (e.g., Renewable Energy Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Public Health, Environmental Health and Safety),
elective courses exclusively focused on sustainability culture, smart agriculture, climate change, and environmental policy,
cross-disciplinary collaborations linking engineering, business, health, IT, and humanities,
project-based and experiential learning addressing community sustainability challenges.

This reflects AAU’s direct alignment with SDG 4.7 (Education for Sustainable Development) and SDG 17.14 (Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development), positioning the University as a national and regional model for embedding sustainability into higher education.

Centers and Departments:

January
01

1. Sustainability and International Ranking Center (SIRC)

Oversees SDG-related course tracking and reporting.

Ensures all SDG courses meet quality and sustainability criteria.

January
01

2. Teaching and Learning Center

Enhances teaching quality and pedagogical innovation.

Provides support and training for faculty designing SDG courses.

January
01

3. Deanship of Scientific Research and Graduate Studies

Encourages research-based learning within SDG courses.

Integrates research projects into sustainability-focused curricula.

January
01

4. Deanship of Student Affairs

Engages students in co-curricular SDG learning activities.

Connects classroom courses with community-based learning.

January
01

5. Hourani e-Learning Center

Digitizes SDG content for blended learning delivery.

Facilitates online access to sustainability and SDG course materials.

Activities:

January
01

1. SDG and Sustainability Courses Procedure

The SDG and Sustainability Courses Procedure standardizes the process for introducing, approving, and reviewing SDG-focused courses across all departments.
It ensures that each course explicitly links to one or more SDGs, with measurable outcomes and assessment indicators.

January
01

2. Smart Agriculture and Food Security Course

This interdisciplinary course equips students with practical skills in sustainable food systems, agricultural innovation, and climate-resilient practices.
It aligns with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

January
01

3. Climate Change and Environmental Policy Course

AAU offers an elective on Climate Change and Environmental Policy, addressing mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development policies at the national and global level.
It reinforces SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 17 (Global Partnerships).

January
01

4. Renewable Energy Engineering Program

AAU’s Renewable Energy Engineering Program equips students with the knowledge and technical expertise to design and manage sustainable energy systems.
It contributes directly to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

January
01

5. Environmental Health and Safety Course

This course focuses on the relationship between environmental factors, health outcomes, and sustainability policies.
Students explore practical solutions to improve public and occupational health, advancing SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

Impact Evaluation & Development Plan

A . Performance Evaluation

1.Dedicated Degree Programs in Sustainability

AAU offers full-degree programs that explicitly integrate sustainability and SDG competencies, including:

- Renewable Energy Engineering Program
- Environmental Engineering (proposed)
- Public Health
- Environmental Health and Safety Course / Track

These programs prepare students for professional careers in clean energy, environmental protection, climate resilience, and sustainable development.

2. Elective SDG Courses Across Faculties

More than 30 SDG-focused elective courses are offered across academic faculties. Examples include:

- Smart Agriculture and Food Security Course
- Climate Change and Environmental Policy Course
- Sustainable Cities and Communities Course
- Circular Economy & Waste Management Modules

These courses introduce students to core sustainability themes such as biodiversity, renewable energy, climate adaptation, public policy, responsible consumption, and social inclusion.

3. Interdisciplinary SDG Learning

Courses emphasize systems thinking and interlinkages between SDGs, allowing students to address global challenges from multi-disciplinary perspectives. Joint teaching is conducted between:

- Engineering
- Business
- IT
- Health Sciences
- Humanities and Social Sciences

This integration builds students’ ability to design holistic sustainability solutions.

4. Project-Based Learning and Community Engagement

Many SDG courses require:

- applied field projects,
- campus sustainability interventions,
- environmental research,
- social-innovation initiatives in local communities.

These projects support direct community impact and real-world problem solving, strengthening SDG 4.7 and SDG 11–15 outcomes.

5. Digital Accessibility

The Hourani e-Learning Center ensures that SDG course content, materials, assessment, and interactive learning activities are fully accessible through AAU’s digital platforms, supporting inclusive and flexible sustainability education.

B. Development Actions

Action 1: SDG Course Expansion Plan

Introduce new SDG-aligned elective courses focusing on climate, energy, innovation, environmental justice, and digital sustainability.
Target: 10 new SDG courses by 2027.

Action 2: Interdisciplinary SDG Degree Development

Launch integrated undergraduate and postgraduate programs combining sustainability, artificial intelligence, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Target: New interdisciplinary programs operational by 2026.

Action 3: Faculty SDG Collaboration Network

Strengthen faculty co-teaching and SDG curriculum integration across disciplines.
Target: 15 interdisciplinary modules per year.

Action 4: SDG Student Research Integration

Link SDG courses to graduation research projects and theses.
Target: 100 SDG-focused student research projects annually.

Action 5: SDG Course Impact Evaluation System

Develop an annual impact-assessment mechanism measuring:

- SDG literacy,
- behavior change,
- course effectiveness,
- graduate sustainability competencies.

Target: Annual SDG Education Impact Report published starting 2025.

C. Benchmarking & Best Practice

AAU benchmarks its SDG-focused curriculum against international leaders such as:

- University College London (UK),
- University of Melbourne (Australia),
- Arizona State University (USA),

which are globally recognized for integrating sustainability learning across full-degree and elective programs.

Adopted Best Practices:

- curriculum-wide SDG-linked learning outcomes,
- interdisciplinary and experiential learning models,
- SDG mapping integrated into course design,
- open-access publication of sustainability course data.

Localization to Jordan’s Context

AAU adapts best practices to Jordan’s national frameworks, ensuring alignment with:

- Jordan Vision 2033,
- National Education Strategy 2022–2030,
- National Green Growth Plan,
- priorities for climate resilience, water security, and sustainable development.

This ensures culturally relevant and nationally impactful SDG learning outcomes.

Future Goal (by 2028)

Establish the AAU School of Sustainable Development and Innovation a specialized academic unit offering:

- SDG-focused degree programs,
- interdisciplinary sustainability research,
- innovation and social-impact labs,
- global partnerships supporting SDG 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

This School will become a regional hub for academic transformation in sustainability education.

Institutional Integration Summary

At Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), SDG-focused courses are governed by an integrated framework led by the Sustainability & International Ranking Center (SIRC) and the Teaching and Learning Center, in collaboration with all academic faculties.

Using the SDG and Sustainability Courses Procedure, all SDG courses undergo:

- curriculum review,
- SDG mapping,
- learning-outcome alignment,
- quality assurance and monitoring.

Data on SDG course offerings, students enrolled, faculty participation, and learning outcomes are verified and then publicly released through:

- AAU Sustainability Report 2024–2025,
- Executive Sustainability Report,
- AAU Sustainability Portal.

This institutional framework ensures that SDG-focused courses are measurable, transparent, evidence-based, and impactful advancing SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).