This document is the narrative on the initiatives and achievement of IUBAT of its’ commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goals. This report emphasizes the pioneer role of a university in achieving SDG goals in a developing country, Bangladesh. The data and narrative in this report are factually based but may not be comprehensive or up to date. It is anticipated that this report will evolve over time based on feedback from stakeholders.

Feedback, suggestions, correction requests, and questions should be sent to: Professor Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Director, IUBAT Institute of SDG Studies Office. marahman@iubat.edu / +88-02-01820425191

International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) has been operating sustainability activities under the CGEC-Centre for Global Environmental Culture since 2008. The sustainability program has been taken over by the IISS-IUBAT Institute of SDG Studies. IISS is especially focused on the education and research of SDGs. However, CGEC is the host of the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Greater Dhaka which is a UN program of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It is envisioned that the RCE Greater Dhaka will serve as an example of good practice to other regions facing similar sustainability challenges and issues and contribute to the goals set by the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (https://www.rcegreaterdhaka.org/objectives.php). With its global network and collaboration with RCE, IUBAT has taken many UNU University recognizable sustainability projects on: Traditional knowledge, Knowledge Based Area Development, Improvement of health of urban slums, Global action plan on ESD, Students’ sustainability engagement, Rural home-centered farming for food security, Ecosystem management and Global citizenship education [ See annexure-1]. The sustainability practices operated at IUBAT include energy saving, wastewater reuse, waste management, tree plantation, reduction of carbon footprint, greening the campus etc. There is a combined effort of the faculty members, students, administration and operations lying behind as a Whole Institution Approach. This university has a nationwide impact because of playing the role of a model educational institution for sustainable activities in Bangladesh and training up resource persons for sustainability leading in Bangladesh’s future.

SDG 1 – No Poverty

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

IUBAT is to eradicate poverty in the country through developing skilled human resources from every corner of the society. The university is working on taking rural background students and grooming them through effective courses. The education loan of the university has proven successful in completing the education of the students. Tertiary education in private universities is expensive and there is limited seat capacity in public universities. As a pioneer non-government university IUBAT has opened the door of higher education to a vast number of students. The institution is also working on skilled human resource development and education access to meritorious but needy students. In 2023 IUBAT had 15 publications related to SDG 1.

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP:

The KBAD Project was set up at the IUBAT for achieving the vision of producing at least one professional graduate from each village/ward under the KBAD concept as a step towards community self-reliance. To materialize this vision and to translate the concept into reality, IUBAT has special provisions for supplementing the family resources of a student through scholarships, grant, fee waivers, deferred fee payment, on campus job, educational financing and the like. It is IUBAT policy to cater to the needs of all qualified students who aspire to higher professional regardless of the income level of his/her family through appropriate educational financing arrangements.”

Each year, the IUBAT Rotaract Club with over 60 student volunteers works in collaboration with local people to deliver food and clothes to the most vulnerable communities.

IUBAT donates food in orphanages on several national days of the country to feed poor students.

On 32nd Foundation Day 2023 IUBAT distributed blankets to the poor people of Dhaka city on January 19, 2023.

More Info:

Link: https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/rce-profile-detail/rce-greater-dhaka

SDG 2 – Zero Hunger

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH:

IRRI rice germplasm and HYV rice harvesting ceremony held at the IUBAT Agricultural Research Station (IARS), Rajendrapur, Gazipur on May 18, 2023

Seminar at World Food Day at IUBAT on 16 Oct 2023

SDG 3 – Good Health and Well Being

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

The College of Nursing of the university offers nursing degrees and doing research related to SDG3. In bringing up the health service of the country higher degree in nursing is crucial for Bangladesh. There were 15 papers published iin 2023. The university opened a Master in Public Health(MPH)degree program in July 2023. The nursing college had done leading research on COVID-19 that was published in indexed journals.

OPERATIONS:

IUBAT NEWS RELATED TO SDG 3:

The College of Nursing organized a “General Health Check-up Program” on 28 January, 2023 and on 15 October at the IUBAT Open Auditorium.

A seminar on “Managing Personal Stress” held on Saturday, 15th October, 2023

SDG 4 – Quality Education

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

IUBAT ranked the #1411 position in the QS World University Rankings 2024. It is ranked 601-800 position out of 1591 worldwide ranked institutions in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023. THE uses carefully calibrated indicators to provide a comprehensive and balanced comparison across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching. The overall performances of IUBAT are as follows:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP:

IISS translated Global Education Monitoring Report 2021/22 of UNESCO.

IISS in association with UNESCO also translated Getting Climate Ready-A Guide for Schools on Climate Action and Global Education Monitoring Report 2021/22

SDG 5 – Gender Equality

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

Teaching

Operations

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP

The University has an ongoing study on the female participation in study and employment annually to ensure equal opportunity in gender.

SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation

RESEARCH

The university has 8 scholarly publications related toSDG 6 on 2023.

The faculty members of the university is doing research on water quality index analysis of Turag River. It is to be mentioned that Turag is a much polluted river due to textile industrial pollution with an oxygen content near zero in dry season needs annual monitoring and assessment of water quality.

For the biodiversity conservation effort of Turag River IUBAT is aiming to release fish spawn and beneficial frog species in the river.

Teaching:

Operations:

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP

SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

A 234 KW solar panel installed at the roof top of the campus building

SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

NEWS RELATED TO SDG 8:

Hult Prize for Social Enterprise Competition held at IUBAT on 28 Feb 2023

SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP:

IUBAT Innovation Hub A collaborative ideation, learning and maker space will enable students and educators, joining with entrepreneurs, business leaders, local government officials, alumni, and educational partners, to co-create and realize the power of human innovation through cross-pollination of education, business and community talent immersed in the best of startup culture.

NEWS RELATED TO SDG 9:

IIEC- IUBAT Innovation & Entrepreneur Center organized a National Innovation Competition- Technocrats V.1 on 15 March 2023 at the IUBAT campus. More than 70 teams from all over the country participated in this event. Mustafa Jabbar, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications joined this event.

Innovation idea sharing at IUBAT 16 September 2023

SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP:

The KBAD Project at the University is “IUBAT has set out the long term vision of producing at least one professional graduate from each village/ward under the KBAD concept as a step towards community self-reliance. To materialize this vision and to translate the concept into reality, IUBAT has special provision for supplementing the family resources of a student through scholarship, grant, fee waiver, deferred payment, campus job, educational financing and the like. It is IUBAT policy to cater to the needs of all qualified students who aspire to higher professional education-regardless of the income level of his/her family through appropriate educational financing arrangements.”

SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

Nation’s First Cleaning Campaign Conducted by IUBAT Students in the Metro Rail Station on 27 Feb 2023

SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

Plastic waste recycling at IUBAT

SDG 13 – Climate Action

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

PROJECTS AND OUTREACH

United Nations University of Global RCE project award on 2023 on Climate Action

World Environmental Day 5 June was observed at IUBAT through various activities. A seminar organized at IUBAT on 7th June by the Department of Environmental Science and IUBAT Institute of SDG Studies (IISS).

SDG 14 – Life Below Water

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

National Environmental Fair 5-11 June, 2023 held at Dhaka organized by Department of Environment, Ministry of Environment. IUBAT stall showcased demo projects to Beat Plastic Pollution on the theme of reducing micro-plastics pollution damaging marine environment.

SDG 15 – Life on Land

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH & PARTNERSHIP

Department of Environmental Science is to train and develop, well well-equipped man power to tackle the growing environmental and developmental problems and changes arising from the transition to a sustainable society. In the 21st century caring for natural resource and facing the threats of climate change there is special needs of scientific knowledge and skills that are fulfilled by the program.

Illegally Sold Pond Herons Captured and Released at IUBAT Pond

SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

RESEARCH & INNOVATION:

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

Celebrating Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti of cultural events on 20 June 2023

International Mother Language Day held at IUBAT on 21st February 2023

SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

RESEARCH, INNOVATION

TEACHING:

OPERATIONS:

OUTREACH AND COLLABORATION

Upcoming Sustainability Initiative at IUBAT

  1. Install Wastewater Treatment Process for recycling
  2. Install Automated sensor water taps in less used areas to save water
  3. Install Automated sensor for lights, fans, A.Cs ++
  4. Organize Training on waste reduction and sustainability issues for teachers and staff, security guards, cleaners
  5. Use Plastic free bottles in the café
  6. Use of 250 ml small mineral water bottles in the café, restaurant, seminar, and meetings events.
  7. Users taking water from water filters must use their own bottles.
  8. Install a water filter outside of the campus for community service
  9. Ban plastic bags inside the campus. Promote the use of jute bags, paper bags
  10. Appoint a faculty for sustainability inspection on the campus
  11. Procure and release captivated wild birds on the campus in association with the Wild Life Crime Control Unit of the Bangladesh Government for Biodiversity Conservation
  12. Target paper-free office. Reduce printing by all teachers, staff, and students using email and electronic media. Print both sides of a paper sheet. Reuse on-sided printed pages for draft writing/printing.
  13. Recycle old exam scripts by sending them directly to a paper factory that uses such papers for paper production.
  14. Prepare, preserve and upload on the website policies and reports on sustainability programs and activities.

Annex

Annex-1

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in IUBAT

Founded in 1991 by Prof. Dr. M Alimullah Miyan, IUBAT—International University of Business Agriculture and Technology is the first nongovernment university in Bangladesh. IUBAT has set out the long-term vision of producing one professional graduate from each village of Bangladesh to contribute towards the creation of a knowledge-based society. Its mission is human resource development through appropriate teaching, training and guidance as well as creation of knowledge conducive to socio-economic development of developing societies in general and that of Bangladesh in particular. The university in pursuance of its mission of socio-economic development has established a Centre for Global Environment and Culture (CGEC) in 1999 which became the host of Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Greater Dhaka in 2011 and earned UN Flagship and Good Practice awards for spreading environmental education in 10 consecutive years (2012-2021). In 2008, IUBAT introduced a Program on Sustainability under CGEC. It has made a three-credit course on Environment and Sustainability mandatory for all undergraduate students of IUBAT. To meet its commitment to contribute to the achievement of SDGs, it has established the IUBAT Institute of SDG Studies (IISS) in 2019.

IISS is an education and research focused institute on sustainable development goals. It offers Certificate and Diploma courses and a Master in Sustainability Studies. The Institute illustrates implementation and demonstration of the SDGs by way of setting several practical models of projects at the field level. It also offers consultancy services for capacity building of the institutions engaged in SDG achievement. The resource persons are taken from internal and external sources. The milestone achievement of IUBAT is given below:

Special Achievement on ESD Activities

Fig 1: Showing IUBAT Whole Institute approach on ESD

Action Research on Environmental Sustainability

The CGEC the host of all ESD activities of IUBAT completed several action researches on Environmental Development in a Rural Community with resource support of UNDP channeled through the Sustainable Environmental Management Program (SEMP), Ministry of Environment and Forests, GOB. Implemented programs were listed below:

Collaborative research Programs with International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme Synthesis Integration and Exploration (IGBP SIE): Sweden in 2015-2016.

Other ongoing Projects:

Reference

  1. Muhammad Rehan Dastagir, Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Muhammad Azizul Hoque. 2017.“Mobilizing Education for Sustainable Development Program in the Regional Centre of Expertise Greater Dhaka: IUBAT Whole-Institution approach of Global Action Program.”
    IUBAT Review 1 (2): 49-64. iubat.edu/journal
  2. /research/centres/cgec/
  3. https://iiss.iubat.edu/
  4. https://www.rcegreaterdhaka.org
  5. https://www.rcenetwork.org/portal/rce-profile-detail/rce-greater-dhaka

A Complete Sustainable Development Report of 2023 is available bellow

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