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SDSN Member Conference: Universities Implementing the SDGs in Afghanistan

By Dorothea Strueber

On August 29th, SDSN member Kateb University hosted the Conference on the Role of Universities in Implementing the SDGs in Afghanistan.

The event was supported by the national Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance, and was co-organized in partnership with national and international development organizations and key stakeholders working on the SDGs in the country. As author of the “Getting Started with the SDGs in Universities” guide, Dr. Tahl Kestin from SDSN Australia, NZ & Pacific, tuned in to deliver a speech on this important field of work.

  • To provide an overall update on the current status of SDGs progress in Afghanistan
  • To discuss possible actions by Afghan universities to help achieve the SDGs by 2030
  • To explore opportunities of synergies and collaboration
  • To highlight lessons learned from universities around the globe and discuss their applicability to the Afghan context

This first-ever conference on the SDGs in Afghanistan brought together universities and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of tertiary education institutions on the achievement of Agenda 2030 in the country. The major expected outcomes were:

  • To enhance understanding of the SDGs and their status in Afghanistan
  • To create partnerships among universities to advance SDG implementation in areas of education, research, creation and dissemination of knowledge
  • To explore partnership opportunities between universities and other stakeholders by offering synergies to achieve the SDGs in Afghanistan
  • To produce a comprehensive conference report to be shared with stakeholders
  • To develop a policy note to highlight the SDGs status in Afghanistan from different stakeholders’ perspectives and propose policy recommendations for better implementation of the SDGs in Afghanistan

Other key takeaways from the conference include:

  • UNDP Afghanistan will share the Meta Data document with universities and ask them to work together on data analysis.
  • The Minister of Economy encouraged universities to focus on localization, costing and national strategies for the SDGs during the 2020-2030 period.
  • Professor Jeffrey Sachs encouraged Kateb University to take the lead in creating a national network of universities, research centers, and think tanks by establishing SDSN Afghanistan.

The comprehensive report about the conference is available here.

You can re-watch Prof. Shefaie's presentation at the conference here.

The full conference can be re-watched here.