SDGs Conference

On August 29, 2019, Kateb University organized a one-day conference on "Role of Universities of the SDGs in Afghanistan". The conference sought to highlight challenges and potential solutions for attaining the SDGs in Afghanistan, enabling participants to discuss about university contributions in acheiving SDGs.

The conference aimed to acheive the following objectives:

1. To provide an overall update for participants on the current status of SDGs progress in Afghanistan

2. To discuss possibilities of action for Afghan universities to help achieve the SDGs by 2030

3. To explore opportunities of synergies and collaboration

4. To highlight lessons learned from universities around the globe and discuss their applicability to the Afghan context

The one day conference was based on expert speeches who presented their findings of researches relevant to any of the SDGs goals, the challenges of their works and their recommendations and highlight their expectations from the SDGs stakeholders. The conference hosted five panel members from UNDP, Ministry of Economy, an SDGs involved Embassy of a foreign country and Kateb University who shared their ideas and experiences with the participants.

Organizations such as the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU), Ministry of Economy of Afghanistan (MoE), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Monash Institute of Development Studies were the conference partners.

As a result of the conference, it was aimed to enhance understanding on SDGs and its status quo in Afghanistan, create partnerships among universities to advance SDG implementation in areas of education, research, creation and dissemination of knowledge and explore partnership opportunities between universities and other stakeholders by offering synergies to accomplish the SDGs in Afghanistan.

Expected Outcomes

The conference on SDGs in Afghanistan was the first-ever arranged conference to bring together universities and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of tertiary education institutions on the achievement of the Agenda 2030 in the country. The major expected outcomes of this conference are highlighted as follows:

1. Enhance understanding on SDGs and its status quo in Afghanistan;

2. Create partnerships among universities to advance SDG implementation in areas of education, research, creation and dissemination of knowledge; and

3. Explore partnership opportunities between universities and other stakeholders by offering synergies to accomplish the SDGs in Afghanistan.

4. Producing Conference Report: A comprehensive completion report will be produced by Kateb University and 1000 printed volumes will be shared with stakeholders.

5. Developing Policy Note: Kateb University and local partners will produce a policy note to highlight SDGs status in Afghanistan from different stakeholder’s perspectives and as a result will propose policy recommendations for better implementation of SDGs in Afghanistan.

Participants

Representatives from private and public universities, the Ministry of Economy, UNDP Afghanistan, students, research institutions, and other relevant stakeholders will be invited to participate in the conference.