OAFP 9565 - Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges, Innovations and Opportunities

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was launched in 2015 to help people in poverty, and set

the world on a path of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet, through working in

partnerships. These “5 Ps” of the 2030 Agenda are supported by 17 Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs), which demand nothing short of a transformation of the economic, social and political systems

that govern modern societies, in order to ensure the promises of the 2030 Agenda are kept.

Yet global efforts to date have been insufficient to deliver the change needed, and the world is currently

off-track in meeting the Agenda’s promise to current and future generations. At the midway point of SDG

Decade of Action, renewed ambition, mobilisation, leadership and collective action is needed to recover

from COVID-19, and ensure that governments win the race against climate change, decisively tackle

poverty and inequality, empower all women and girls, and create more inclusive and equitable societies

everywhere.

This course will examine the SDGs and 5 Ps, challenging students to think pragmatically of the

opportunities and challenges of delivering on the 2030 Agenda. Students will gain insights from academia

and case studies, with citations provided equally from the Global North and Global South, alongside

having a greater understanding of how social innovations are enabling and shaping the implementation

of the SDGs.

There are no pre-requisites for this course. However, students are expected to have enthusiasm for

learning and understanding more about the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals.

The course will include an introduction to the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals in Week

• From Week 2 to Week 6, students will learn about the core pillars and principles of the SDGs, the “5

Ps” – people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships - and review multilateral agreements, practical

frameworks, and case studies that are supporting the implementation of the SDGs in each of these areas.

In Week 7, students will analyse various factors affecting the implementation of the SDGs (e.g. finance,

policy coherence etc.) and discuss the Policy Brief submission with professors. Week 8 and Week 9 focus

on the activities of the multilateral system and the important local initiatives that are supporting the

2030 Agenda.

In Week 10, students will have the opportunity to have a session on an in-focus topic, which will be

presented to students in weeks 1-2, and students will decide on desired topic – including the possibility

of an external speaker.

Examples of Voluntary National and Voluntary Local Reviews will be the focus of Week 11, and in Week

12, students will discuss the future of Sustainable Development including what will come after 2030.

 GROUP PRESENTATIONS (20%) – Starting from Session 3, students will work in groups of 2 or 3 and

deliver a 10 - 15 minute presentation on a news article, case study, policy directive or multilateral

agreement relating to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Each student will be asked to speak for 5 minutes each, with the presentation being a maximum

of 6 slides. Students are encouraged to use material beyond the sources provided in the syllabus.

 POLICY BRIEF (70%) – Students will write a 1,600 word Policy Brief, proposing the implementation of a

policy solution in a specific country, or at a sub-national level (e.g. region or city) that advances

sustainable development. The Policy Briefs will detail the rationale for the proposed policy

action; potential challenges, and implementation plan.

Students will receive guidance on writing the Policy Brief in Session 7, and will be able to send a

one-page outline for the professors to review by the start of Session 8. Students can expect

feedback within 6 working days.

The Policy Brief is due for all students prior to the start of Session 11. Late submission of the

Policy Briefs will not be accepted without prior approval from the professors, and late

submissions will receive a 10% deduction from their final mark for each day or any part thereof

overdue.

 REGULAR ATTENDANCE AND ENGAGEMENT 10%

Students are expected to have completed the required readings in preparation for each class, and be prepared to actively participate in class discussions.