The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was adopted by all the United Nations Member states in 2015 as a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all people.

This course provides an interdisciplinary and state-of the-art perspective on Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the most ambitious global framework for sustainable development.

The course highlights the importance of all three spheres; biosphere, society and economy for sustainable development and is structured in three interlinked modules on Knowing, Measuring and Leading.

Knowing
The module provides an interdisciplinary understanding of the 17 SDGs and their interlinkages. Students will receive an introduction to the development and history of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. The module will focus on systems thinking and guide and facilitate students to deepen their knowledge of SDGs and its targets, as well as synergies and trade-offs between SDGs.

Measuring
The module highlights the importance of assessments and monitoring for decision making and critically discusses the SDG indicator framework.

Leading
The module provides a basic grasp of the key governance challenges in implementing the SDGs, discusses key concepts in the fields of leadership and organisation, and highlights the importance of developing communication, networking, leadership and negotiation skills relevant to strategic decision-making.

Who Can Apply

The course is open for anyone who wants to get a broader understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals and their interlinkages, how to implement them, measure them and how to lead the way for sustainable development. You do not need to be enrolled in a programme or have a degree from a certain academic field. 

• Graduate students and master students
• Teachers and educators at different levels
• Policymakers and sustainable development practitioners 
• Private-sector actors