TASK™ Sustainability Literacy and Competency Integration at PSAU

1. Overview

Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU), through its partnership with Sulitest and its broader sustainability transformation agenda, has institutionalised the use of the TASK™ sustainability assessment framework as a university-wide mechanism for sustainability literacy development, competency assessment, ethical engagement, and SDG-oriented capacity building.

The integration of TASK™ forms part of PSAU’s strategic commitment to embedding sustainability across teaching, learning, research, mobility, governance, community engagement, and international partnerships in alignment with:

  • Saudi Vision 2030; 
  • the PSAU 2030 SDG Roadmap; 
  • the PSAU Global South Partnership (PSAU GSP); 
  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles; 
  • global sustainability competency frameworks; 
  • international sustainability benchmarking systems. 

Through this integrated approach, PSAU has moved beyond treating sustainability literacy as a standalone awareness activity and instead positions TASK™ as a mandatory and embedded institutional framework spanning students, faculty, researchers, alumni, staff, and international partners.

2. Institutional Framework for TASK™ Integration

The implementation and governance of TASK™ at PSAU is coordinated through the SDG and ESG Strategy and Implementation Unit under the Rankings, Strategy, and Institutional Advancement Department (RASU).

The framework supports:

  • sustainability literacy assessment; 
  • green skills development; 
  • institutional sustainability culture; 
  • SDG-focused curriculum transformation; 
  • sustainability competency benchmarking; 
  • ethical and responsible innovation; 
  • sustainability-oriented mobility and exchange; 
  • SDG-focused research funding governance; 
  • lifelong learning and alumni engagement. 

TASK™ implementation is aligned with PSAU’s sustainability ecosystem under the five pillars of its 2030 SDG Roadmap, which also underpins its Global South Partnership (GSP):

  • People;  
  • Planet;  
  • Prosperity;  
  • Peace;  
  • Partnerships.  

 

3. TASK™ for Undergraduate Students

Curriculum-Integrated Sustainability Literacy

PSAU integrates sustainability literacy into teaching and learning through curriculum-linked TASK™ assessments embedded within selected undergraduate courses and academic activities.

The integration is particularly prominent within:

  • Electrical Engineering; 
  • Mechanical Engineering; 
  • Civil Engineering; 
  • Biology;  
  • Geography;  
  • sustainability-focused interdisciplinary modules. 

TASK™ is used as part of:

  • continuous assessment activities; 
  • SDG-focused coursework; 
  • sustainability competency evaluation; 
  • project-based learning; 
  • engineering design and innovation exercises; 
  • interdisciplinary sustainability engagement. 

This integration supports the ongoing phase of PSAU’s broader curriculum transformation agenda where sustainability concepts are embedded into engineering and science education.

4. Engineering Education and SDG Integration

The College of Engineering’s SDG education framework aligns engineering teaching and learning with the Sustainable Development Goals through project-based and challenge-based learning.

 

Students are introduced to sustainability principles through:

  • engineering design projects; 
  • SDG-focused innovation activities; 
  • sustainable infrastructure concepts; 
  • renewable energy applications; 
  • smart systems and automation; 
  • environmental engineering applications; 
  • responsible resource consumption; 
  • sustainable construction and urban systems. 

Examples of sustainability-oriented student projects include:

  • electronic waste monitoring systems; 
  • solar-powered irrigation systems; 
  • responsible electricity consumption technologies; 
  • sustainable construction safety solutions; 
  • water recycling systems; 
  • assistive technologies for people with disabilities; 
  • renewable energy applications. 

Through this framework, TASK™ serves as a structured sustainability competency and literacy assessment tool supporting the university’s SDG-oriented teaching strategy.

5. Mandatory TASK™ Exit Assessment for Graduating Students

As part of PSAU’s sustainability literacy and lifelong learning strategy, TASK™ has been integrated into graduating student engagement and post-graduation sustainability competency development.

Through the PSAU Lifelong Learning Outreach initiative, graduating students and recent alumni are required to undertake TASK™ as a sustainability literacy and climate citizenship assessment mechanism.

The initiative positions sustainability competency as an essential graduate attribute and supports PSAU’s commitment to producing graduates equipped for sustainable development leadership and green economy transitions.

The outreach framework:

  • promotes sustainability literacy beyond graduation; 
  • strengthens graduate employability; 
  • supports climate citizenship development; 
  • enhances global sustainability awareness; 
  • reinforces lifelong learning; 
  • benchmarks sustainability competency internationally. 

The initiative additionally supports PSAU’s strategic objective of maintaining long-term sustainability engagement with alumni and graduate communities.

TASK™ assessments conducted under the initiative lead to internationally recognised sustainability certificates and personalised sustainability learning resources.

6. TASK™ for Faculty and Staff

PSAU uses TASK™ as an institutional sustainability literacy assessment tool for faculty members, researchers, professional staff, and administrators.

The framework supports:

  • sustainability-focused professional development; 
  • ESG awareness; 
  • institutional sustainability training; 
  • sustainability-oriented policy implementation; 
  • ethical and socially responsible institutional culture. 

Faculty and staff participate in sustainability literacy and SDG engagement activities through:

  • SDG workshops; 
  • sustainability seminars; 
  • annual SDG Week activities; 
  • interdisciplinary sustainability training; 
  • institutional ESG awareness initiatives; 
  • sustainability reporting and governance activities. 

TASK™ outcomes additionally support institutional decision-making related to sustainability planning, training priorities, and policy development.

7. TASK™ in Student Mobility and International Exchange

PSAU has institutionalised mandatory TASK™ participation within sustainability-oriented international mobility and exchange programmes.

TASK™ serves as both:

  • a preparatory sustainability literacy requirement; and 
  • a post-engagement impact assessment mechanism. 

Mandatory pre- and post-mobility TASK™ assessments are implemented for programmes including:

  • PSAU–Imperial College sustainability and training initiatives; 
  • PSAU–Apple–Galgotias mobility programmes; 
  • PSAU Global South Partnership mobility activities; 
  • sustainability-focused student exchanges and international engagement programmes. 

This framework ensures that mobility participants develop:

  • sustainability awareness; 
  • intercultural competency; 
  • ethical global citizenship; 
  • responsible innovation perspectives; 
  • SDG-oriented problem-solving competencies. 

8. TASK™ within PSAU–Galgotias and Global Innovation Mobility

Within the PSAU–Galgotias University collaboration framework, TASK™ complements mobility and innovation programmes focused on technology, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and digital transformation.

The PSAU–Apple–Galgotias iOS Development mobility pathway combines:

  • sustainability literacy; 
  • innovation and entrepreneurship; 
  • digital transformation; 
  • socially impactful technology development; 
  • interdisciplinary collaboration; 
  • community engagement. 

TASK™ assessments provide sustainability competency benchmarking before and after participation, ensuring that innovation and technology training are grounded within broader sustainability and ethical development principles.

9. TASK™ and PSAU Global South Partnership (PSAU GSP)

TASK™ forms an important component of the sustainability governance framework underpinning the PSAU Global South Partnership (GSP).

The PSAU GSP promotes equitable collaboration, SDG-focused partnerships, sustainability research, innovation, capacity building, and interdisciplinary engagement across institutions from the Global South.

To strengthen sustainability accountability and impact assessment, PSAU requires mandatory TASK™ participation for numerous GSP-related activities.

10. Mandatory TASK™ Requirements within PSAU GSP Funding

Under the PSAU SDG Research and Development Funding Programme and PSAU GSP collaborative funding initiatives, TASK™ assessments are mandatory for:

  • principal investigators; 
  • co-investigators;  
  • student researchers; 
  • funded mobility participants; 
  • selected international collaborators; 
  • participating students from PSAU GSP partner institutions. 

Mandatory implementation includes:

  • pre-funding sustainability literacy assessment; 
  • post-project sustainability competency reassessment; 
  • sustainability impact benchmarking; 
  • SDG awareness evaluation; 
  • responsible innovation competency assessment. 

This requirement ensures that funded projects align not only with technical research outcomes but also with sustainability ethics, societal impact, ESG principles, and SDG-oriented implementation.

11. TASK™ in Sustainability Research and Innovation

TASK™ additionally supports PSAU’s broader sustainability research ecosystem by reinforcing sustainability awareness among researchers and project teams.

The framework contributes to:

  • interdisciplinary sustainability research; 
  • climate resilience initiatives; 
  • sustainable infrastructure projects; 
  • green technology innovation; 
  • ethical AI and digital transformation initiatives; 
  • sustainable community development projects; 
  • responsible research and innovation culture. 

The integration of TASK™ within research governance reflects PSAU’s commitment to embedding sustainability literacy within all stages of research planning, implementation, and dissemination.

12. TASK™ for Alumni and Lifelong Learning

PSAU extends sustainability literacy development beyond graduation through its Lifelong Learning Outreach initiative.

The initiative encourages recent graduates and alumni to undertake TASK™ assessments to:

  • maintain sustainability engagement; 
  • strengthen employability; 
  • benchmark sustainability knowledge globally; 
  • support professional development; 
  • reinforce climate citizenship; 
  • remain connected to PSAU’s sustainability ecosystem. 

Through this initiative, PSAU recognises sustainability literacy as a lifelong competency rather than a time-bound educational outcome.

13. Community Engagement and Sustainability Culture

TASK™ implementation forms part of PSAU’s broader sustainability engagement and awareness ecosystem.

The university promotes sustainability literacy through:

  • annual SDG Weeks; 
  • engineering design poster exhibitions; 
  • student innovation showcases; 
  • public workshops and seminars; 
  • sustainability campaigns; 
  • interdisciplinary outreach activities; 
  • community-centred SDG initiatives. 

These activities collectively support the development of an institutional culture centred on:

  • ethical responsibility; 
  • sustainability leadership; 
  • social impact; 
  • environmental stewardship; 
  • global citizenship; 
  • innovation for sustainable development. 

 

14. Institutional Impact and Strategic Importance

The university-wide integration of TASK™ demonstrates PSAU’s commitment to embedding sustainability literacy across all dimensions of institutional life.

The framework enables PSAU to:

  • assess sustainability competency institution-wide; 
  • strengthen graduate sustainability outcomes; 
  • support ESG and SDG governance; 
  • institutionalise sustainability culture; 
  • align mobility and funding with sustainability principles; 
  • enhance sustainability-focused curriculum transformation; 
  • support responsible innovation; 
  • strengthen international sustainability partnerships. 

By integrating TASK™ across education, research, mobility, governance, partnerships, lifelong learning, and institutional development, PSAU continues to strengthen its position as a sustainability-focused university committed to producing globally responsible graduates, researchers, innovators, and leaders.

Last Update Date For Page Content : 10/05/2026 - 09:05 Saudi Arabia Time

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