• Integrating Sustainable Development Educ...
• intsdeaaap

Integrating Sustainable Development Education Across All Academic Programmes

Commitment to Meaningful SDG Education Across All Programmes (2025) University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa (UOWA) ·

The University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa (UOWA) embeds education for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into 100% of its undergraduate degree programmes across all 12 colleges. This whole-of-university integration is enforced through three complementary pillars: (1) a binding University Council Decision requiring every academic programme to map its curriculum to the SDGs, (2) a mandatory credit-bearing SDG course (UOWA102) that is compulsory in all 12 colleges, and (3) an annual university-wide sustainability workshop open to all students and staff.

1. Binding Institutional Mandate: University Council Decision on Curriculum-Wide SDG Integration By University Council Decision (Session 2, Decision No. 14, dated 15 September 2024, effective for the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years), the Presidency of the University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa and the Department of Quality Assurance and University Performance mandated that every academic department across all 12 colleges must build the SDGs into its degree programme curriculum:

• Mandatory SDG Curriculum Mapping for All Programmes: Every degree programme across all 12 colleges is required to map its compulsory and elective courses to the relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1–17) in its annual Academic Programme and Module Description Forms prior to approval by the College Scientific Committee.
• Universal Programme Coverage (12 of 12 Colleges): Under this mandate, 100% of UOWA's degree programmes integrate sustainability through two layers:
1. A Universal Foundation Layer: Every first-year student in every programme must take the compulsory module Human Rights and Democracy (UOWA102, 2 ECTS Credits).
2. A Discipline-Specific SDG Layer: Every college embeds specialized SDG modules tailored to its profession—comprising 52 SDG-mapped courses across health sciences (SDG 2, 3, 5, 10), engineering and technology (SDG 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13), law and governance (SDG 5, 10, 16), business and economics (SDG 8, 9, 12), and humanities/Islamic sciences (SDG 4, 10, 16).
• Annual Compliance Audit: The Office of Sustainability and the Quality Assurance Division audit all 12 colleges' module descriptors at the start of each academic year to verify SDG learning outcomes and student enrolment data.

2. Mandatory SDG Course for All Students: Human Rights and Democracy (UOWA102) Every undergraduate student enrolled at the University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa must complete and pass the foundational university requirement course Human Rights and Democracy as a condition of graduation:

• Course Name: Human Rights and Democracy
• Course Code: UOWA102 (Unified University-Wide Compulsory Requirement Code)
• Credits & Workload: 2 ECTS Credits (2 lecture hours per week across a 15-week semester; 50 hours total student workload: 30 hours structured lectures + 20 hours unstructured study)
• Year of Study: First Year (Stage 1 / Level UG1, Semester 1)
• Compulsory Status: Mandated by the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) and University Council Decision No. 14 (15 September 2024), this course is compulsory in all 12 colleges (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Engineering, Computer Science & Information Technology, Science, Law & Political Science, Administration & Economics, Islamic Sciences, Media, and Education) for 100% of incoming undergraduate students.
• SDGs Taught in the Syllabus:
• SDG 4 (Quality Education – Target 4.7): Weeks 1–3 & 6 cover education for human rights, global citizenship, peaceful coexistence, and student civic responsibilities.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality) & SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Weeks 4, 9, and 12–13 examine equal civil, political, economic, and social rights, non-discrimination, protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, and equity under national and international law.
• SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions): Weeks 5, 8, 10–11, and 14–15 teach the rule of law, separation of powers, constitutional guarantees, free and fair elections, prevention of genocide/violence, civil society institutions, and good governance.
• 2024–2025 Student Enrolment: In the 2024–2025 academic year, a total of 3,480 first-year undergraduate students (100% of the Stage 1 cohort across all 12 colleges) took and completed UOWA102.

3. Optional SDG Activity Open to All Students: Annual Sustainability Awareness Workshop Alongside compulsory coursework, the University hosts its flagship Annual Sustainability Awareness Workshop, "Sustainability & Society: Understanding Our Role", which is open to every student in all 12 colleges, as well as all faculty members and professional staff:

• Activity Name: "Sustainability & Society: Understanding Our Role" (Annual Sustainability Awareness Workshop)
• 2025 Dates Held: Conducted in two university-wide sessions during 2025—on 12 March 2025 (Spring Cycle) and 15 October 2025 (Autumn Orientation Cycle)—at the Central University Auditorium with live streaming.
• How Students Join (Open Access Across All 12 Colleges): Registration is free and open to every student across all 12 colleges via a one-click sign-up form on the UOWA Student Portal (cw21.uowa.edu.iq), official college Telegram announcements, and QR-code registration banners placed at the entrance of all 12 college deaneries. Students may attend either in person or virtually.
• 2025 Attendance Numbers: A total of 1,420 students from all 12 colleges and 185 faculty and professional staff members (1,605 total participants) attended the 2025 workshop sessions and received official Certificates of Participation.
• SDGs Covered & Workshop Structure:
• Session 1 – Introduction to Sustainability & the 17 SDGs (45 min): Covers the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic, environmental), all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1–17), and Iraq's national commitments under the 2030 Agenda.
• Session 2 – Social Sustainability in Higher Education (45 min): Explores community responsibility, equity and inclusion, education for sustainable development, and social cohesion on campus, with direct links to SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 10, and SDG 16.
• Session 3 – UOWA's Sustainability Vision & Action Plan (45 min + 30 min Q&A): Presents the University's commitments across curriculum, research, campus operations, community engagement, and governance (SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, and SDG 17), concluding with an open Q&A and certificate distribution.

Related Social Sustainability Activities (2025): Community Well-Being | Drug Awareness | Charity Bazaar | Addiction Prevention