PSAU's Investments in SDG Research, Partnerships, and Best Practices to Tackle Global Challenges
PSAU Global South Partnership
The PSAU GSP fosters collaboration with Global South institutions to address development challenges.
Key Contributions:
1. Collaborative Research:
o Projects on climate-resilient farming and renewable energy with African and Asian universities.
o SDG 13 (Climate Action), Target 13.1: Strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity.
2. Educational Initiatives:
o Two-way student and faculty exchanges focused on sustainability.
o SDG 4 (Quality Education), Target 4.4: Skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
3. Community Engagement:
o Support for marginalised communities via participatory projects.
o SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), Target 10.2: Empowering marginalised groups.
4. Policy Advocacy:
o Campaigns for ESG integration and sustainable urban development.
o SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), Target 11.3: Inclusive urban planning.
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Green PSAU Initiatives
The Green PSAU initiative focuses on environmental sustainability and societal well-being.
Key Achievements:
1. Tree Planting and Waste Management:
o Improved waste disposal systems and reforestation programmes.
o SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), Target 12.5: Reduction of waste generation.
2. Biodiversity Preservation:
o Digital technologies to conserve ecosystems.
o SDG 15 (Life on Land), Target 15.5: Halting biodiversity loss.
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Times Higher Education (THE) and UNEP Green Learning Initiatives
Participation:
1. Founding partner of the Green Learning and Skills Accelerator:
o Provides youth with skills for green jobs.
o SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Target 8.6: Reduction of youth unemployment.
2. Sponsor of THE Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC):
o Advocacy for sustainability education.
o SDG 4 (Quality Education), Target 4.7: Education promoting sustainable lifestyles.
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PSAU’s programmes and initiatives underline its leadership in aligning with the SDGs. Through its 2030 SDG Roadmap, the Global South Partnership, and collaborations with international organizations, PSAU is creating transformative impact locally and globally. By fostering sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, PSAU positions itself as a model institution in achieving the SDGs.
Global Collaborations to Tackle SDGs
PSAU's commitment to sustainability extends to its global engagement, as demonstrated by two flagship initiatives.
First, its investments in sponsoring global events on SDGs, notably the Times Higher Education (THE) Global Sustainable Development Congress (in Thuwal, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2023) and in Bangkok, Thailand (2024)) facilitates knowledge exchange on a global scale, bringing together policymakers, academics, and industry leaders.
Through these events:
• PSAU has showcased its research and policy initiatives, contributing to global SDG discourse.
• Facilitated discussions on key challenges like climate resilience, education equity, and sustainable energy, helping shape actionable strategies for governments and NGOs.
Cross-section view of PSAU's Booth at 2024 GSDC in Bangkok, Thailand
Appointment as a Founding Partner of the UNEP-THE International Green Learning and Skills Accelerator
PSAU’s collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and THE underscores its leadership in promoting sustainability education and skill development:
• PSAU has played a central role in designing programs that align with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), focusing on green skills for the future workforce.
• Supported capacity-building initiatives that enable governments and NGOs to integrate sustainability into national education systems, ensuring long-term impact.
As a student-centric and sustainability-focused institution, PSAU is excited to be part of this great initiative that will impact the future skills that we teach at universities all over the world. It is important that the future generation is ready to continue the fight towards a sustainable, equitable, just, and cleaner world for future generations beyond the current UN SDGs.
PSAU will partner with THE, UNEP, and other institutions to provide leadership towards research, curriculum enhancement, and best practices to deepen SDG education across the higher education landscape worldwide.
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Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University has firmly positioned itself as a leader in SDG policy development, not only through national and regional engagements but also by fostering global partnerships and thought leadership. Its sponsorship of the THE Global Sustainable Development Congress and role as a Founding Partner of the UNEP-THE International Green Learning and Skills Accelerator reinforce its commitment to shaping a sustainable future. PSAU's efforts exemplify its dedication to identifying challenges, creating innovative solutions, and driving impactful actions that resonate both locally and globally.
Research for SDGs
PSAU's SDG Research Funding Program (SDG RFP) invests in high-impact research.
Notable Projects:
1. AI and Healthcare:
o AI Hackathon for predictive models in healthcare.
o SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Target 3.8: Universal health coverage.
2. Digital Transformation:
o MoU with STC for IoT and AI research.
o SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), Target 9.5: Enhancing scientific research capacity.
3. Smart Farming:
o Research on resilient agriculture techniques.
o SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), Target 2.4: Sustainable food production systems.
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PSAU Programme for Research in Specialised Areas
https://drgs.psau.edu.sa/en/content/2021-11-03-1
Introduction
A programme to fund research projects in the fields of human, administrative, scientific, engineering and health conducted by the university faculty.
Objectives
1. Provide research support to all university employees male and female.
2. Ensure the continuity and coherence of specialised scientific research of researchers.
3. Consolidate faculty and university scientific production.
4. Reinforce scientific research infrastructure.
5. Keep pace with the contemporary intellectual developments.
Duration
Twelve months from the date of signing the contract
Terms and Conditions:
1. The research proposal or part of it should not have been supported by any party outside or inside the university.
2. The percentage of plagiarism in the research proposal should not exceed 25%.
3. The number of the research team members should be justified and should preferably not exceed three, including the principal researcher.
4. The research proposal shall be approved according to arbitration criteria approved by the Deanship Council
5. Publication of at least one scientific paper in one of the refereed scientific journals indexed in Web of Science the Database, including Arabic-language journals.
6. Payments due to the principal researcher in the project shall be disbursed in two instalments.
7. The research team should acknowledge the Deanship’s support in all research produced by the project as follows:
a. Research in Arabic:
"تم دعم هذا المشروع بواسطة عمادة البحث العلمي بجامعة الأمير سطام بن عبد العزيز من خلال المقترح البحثي رقم .................."
b. Research in English:
“This project was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University under the research project #...............................”
Application procedure
The research proposal is submitted according to the scientific research system via the following link:
https://services.psau.edu.sa/research/Researcher/Research
