Changing roles of universities in the era of SDGs: rising up to the global challenge through institutionalising partnerships with governments and communities

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers a wide range of interrelated goals, including poverty eradication and economic growth, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and peace for all people by 2030. Policy decisions to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to be informed by policy-relevant evidence co-designed and co-produced with the pertinent stakeholders, taking into consideration local and political contexts. Universities are uniquely placed to lead the cross-sectoral implementation of the SDGs and advance the 2030 agenda. This commentary provides the case for building, strengthening and institutionalising university partnerships with governments and communities to achieve the SDGs. The authors call for a change in mindsets and culture in both academia and government, and invite both parties to start the dialogue if we are to rise up to the global challenge.

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C O M M E N T A R Y Open Access
Changing roles of universities in the era of
SDGs: rising up to the global challenge
through institutionalising partnerships with
governments and communities
Fadi El-Jardali
1,2,3*
, Nour Ataya
2
and Racha Fadlallah
1,2,3
Abstract
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers a wide range of interrelated goals, including poverty eradication
and economic growth, social inclusion, environmental sustainability and peace for all people by 2030. Policy decisions
to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to be informed by policy-relevant evidence co-designed and
co-produced with the pertinent stakeholders, taking into consideration local and political contexts. Universities are
uniquely placed to lead the cross-sectoral implementation of the SDGs and advance the 2030 agenda. This
commentary provides the case for building, strengthening and institutionalising university partnerships with
governments and communities to achieve the SDGs. The authors call for a change in mindsets and culture in both
academia and government, and invite both parties to start the dialogue if we are to rise up to the global challenge.
Keywords: Sustainable development goals, universities, institutionalisation, government, community, partnerships,
government–academia, cross-sectoral collaboration
Background
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts for-
ward a broad and ambitious agenda covering a wide range
of interrelated goals, including poverty eradication and
economic growth, social inclusion, environmental sustain-
ability and peace for all people by 2030. An analysis of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demonstrates the
interconnectedness of the goals and targets, with various
nexuses identified among sectors, such as the education,
gender and health nexus; the energy, food security and
poverty eradication nexus; the water, energy and food
nexus; and the climate, land, energy and water nexus [1].
The depth and breadth of the SDGs necessitate concerted
and coordinated efforts across all sectors and actors [2,3].
Achieving progress on the SDGs will undoubtedly
require the involvement of governments to work across
policy areas; however, political commitment alone will
not suffice without mechanisms to steer their implemen-
tation. Policy decisions to meet the SDGs will need to be
informed by policy-relevant evidence, co-designed and
co-produced with the pertinent stakeholders, taking into
consideration local and political context [4].
Universities are uniquely placed to lead the cross-sectoral
implementation of the SDGs, providing an invaluable
source of expertise in research and education on all sectors
of the SDGs, in addition to being widely considered as neu-
tral and influential players. While the focus of this com-
mentary is on the role of universities, it is acknowledged
that think tanks and other institutions involved in the pro-
duction and communication of knowledge also have an im-
portant role in advancing the SDG agenda.
Worldwide, some universities have started to come on
board with the SDGs, prompted by United Nations-
supported initiatives such as the Higher Education
Sustainability Initiative, the Principles of Responsible
Management Education initiative, and the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network [5]. However, the ques-
tion remains as to how universities, particularly those in
* Correspondence: fe08@aub.edu.lb
1
Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences,
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
2
Knowledge to Policy (K2P) Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut,
Lebanon
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
© The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to
the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver
(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
El-Jardali et al. Health Research Policy and Systems (2018) 16:38
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-018-0318-9

low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), can assume
a proactive and leading role in achieving the SDGs. This
is particularly relevant in light of the latest United
Nations report showing that the rate of progress in
many areas of the SDGs is far slower than needed to
meet the targets by 2030 [2].
To help universities accelerate action on the SDGs, the
Sustainable Development Solutions Network Australia/Pa-
cific published a practical guide that provides an overview
of how universities can contribute to implementing the
SDGs [5]. This commentary further draws on this discus-
sion and puts forward the centrality of university-led part-
nerships with governments and communities to achieve
the SDGs. It first makes the case for institutionalising uni-
versity partnerships with governments and communities,
and then proceeds with discussing the benefits of such
partnerships for achieving the SDGs.
The case for sustainable partnerships with the
government and community
Fostering partnerships with governments and communi-
ties is gaining increased prominence as the mission of
universities is gradually moving beyond the tradition of
education and research towards a ‘third mission’related
to their ability to partner with governments and
communities to achieve societal impact [6,7]. Increas-
ingly, universities are engaging with renowned inter-
national institutions, governments and community
members. However, with few exceptions, these interac-
tions are often ad-hoc, short-lived (e.g. for a project) or
unsustainable (e.g. based on memoranda of understand-
ing). They are not publicised as clearly, broadly and
directly as needed, with unclear portals of access for
governments and communities into universities. The
situation is exacerbated in LMICs, where universities
are grappling with the challenges of expanding
research and academic capacity and fostering quality,
while maintaining equitable access and relevance to
economy and policy-making [8,9]. In many instances,
governments are not aware of the large and relevant
knowledge base and expertise residing within univer-
sities, and academics do not perceive governments as
partners in or users of their knowledge. Consequently,
the potential of each partner is not being harnessed
to the fullest.
What is needed are long-term and sustainable
strategic partnerships to bring universities, govern-
ments and the communities they serve together in
addressing pressing challenges and transforming
societies [7,10](Fig.1).
Fig. 1 Benefits of university partnerships with governments and communities
El-Jardali et al. Health Research Policy and Systems (2018) 16:38 Page 2 of 5

Institutionalising partnerships with the
government and community
Building long-term and sustainable partnerships is a
non-trivial issue and requires investment and mainten-
ance [11]. While the role of universities in cross-sectoral
partnerships for addressing broad social challenges
remains under-researched, universities will need to tailor
their partnership approach to their own context and
learn from their own experiences [12,13]. Nonetheless,
lessons learned from implementing cross-sectoral part-
nerships suggest that trust and transparency on motiva-
tions for collaboration among partners, clarity on
mutual benefits, shared objectives and long-term com-
mitments are key for effective partnerships [13,14].
Additionally, experiences of universities worldwide, both
public and private, suggest that institutionalising part-
nerships with the government and community helps to
build transparent and sustainable relationships [15]. For
example, in Uganda, cross-sectoral collaborations failed
to carry the development agenda forward when long-
term and institutionalised partnerships with academic
institutions were not considered early on, whereas part-
nerships with the private sector, government and civil
society led by the Uganda National Academy of Sciences
–a stable and apolitical organisation of academics –has
shown potential to drive coordinated action on the
SDGs [14].
The SDGs provide a unique opportunity for univer-
sities and the scientific community in general to re-
interpret institutional strategies and determine the struc-
tures and mechanisms needed to strengthen engagement
with governments and communities. An overview of
universities seeking to institutionalise engagement found
that these have primarily focused on aspects of institu-
tional structure and culture traditionally associated with
sustainability, namely infrastructure, curricular reform,
funding, leadership and policies [11,15]. Community-
engaged universities also manifest extensive involvement
of executive leadership and embed the ‘engagement’in
institutional planning [11]. While a variety of institu-
tional structures to support engagement have been cited,
a pervasive trend among universities has been through
establishing centralised entities, such as a Government
and/or Community Relations Office, responsible for a
whole-of-university approach to coordinating and orga-
nising relations with the government and community.
Depending on institutional context, oversight of the en-
tity responsible for engagement can be conducted by ex-
ecutives from both the university and the government
[6]. A collaborative governance structure would enhance
opportunities for exchange and integration across both
portfolios –advances needed to address the SDGs. Insti-
tutional mechanisms, such as incentives and clear guid-
ance, should support faculty engagement efforts as well
as promote accountability for such engagement. For
instance, some universities have adjusted their faculty review
processes to take into account engagement activities [16].
Strengthened university partnerships with govern-
ments and communities can largely contribute to solving
cross-sectoral and systemic health challenges. These
include addressing the determinants of health, such as
poverty and environmental factors, for reducing non-
communicable diseases, exploring effective policies and
strategies for universal health coverage in resource-
limited settings, and adapting implementation strategies
to national contexts [17–19]. Importantly, given the
interconnectedness of health with other SDGs, strength-
ened partnerships can place universities in a unique
position to push for incorporating health in all policies
as a way to bring better integration and coherence to the
SDGs. In fact, ‘health in all policies’has been positioned
as an essential tool for acting on the SDGs [20,21].
Institutionalised partnerships within universities can
facilitate engagement with governments and communi-
ties at different levels to achieve the SDGs, as described
below.
Play a lead role in strengthening the science–policy
interface
Universities have the capacity to generate, translate and
disseminate knowledge relevant to achieving the SDGs.
They can work with policy-makers and other stake-
holders to identify policy priorities/problems, assess pol-
icy options, implement solutions and evaluate policies.
Importantly, they can help translate the SDGs into
measurable and country-specific targets by actively
matching academic capital with public policy priorities
and making knowledge and resources readily available to
the government and community.
Universities can engage in collaborative knowledge
generation alongside other stakeholders leading to
knowledge co-production or co-creation, which has the
potential to increase societal impact of research through
dynamic, locally adaptive partnerships, power sharing
and ongoing conflict resolution [22]. They can also en-
gage in reciprocal rotations, secondments, policy fellow-
ships and internships with the government and
community to encourage experiential learning and trans-
lational research.
Provide neutral platforms for cross-sectoral dialogue
Universities can initiate and facilitate dialogue across mul-
tiple actors, including government, private sector, aca-
demic and scientific community, civil societies and the
public. Dialogue can help ensure commitment to and
strengthen implementation of the SDGs, as well as pro-
mote the political accountability needed to attain them.
El-Jardali et al. Health Research Policy and Systems (2018) 16:38 Page 3 of 5

Support integrated and coherent policies and actions for
SDGs
While there is a general consensus on the importance of
policy coherence, efforts to achieve this tend to stall at
the implementation phase. The interconnectedness of the
SDGs provides an opportunity for universities to deepen
understanding of implementation considerations for ef-
fective and coherent policies [3]. Universities can catalyse
actions in this area by conducting analyses to identify pol-
icy coherence issues, enhancing understanding of connec-
tions and trade-offs for successful SDG implementation,
and developing new metrics to facilitate integrated moni-
toring. Universities can also contribute to advancing the
fields of systems thinking and planetary health through
conducting integrated, transdisciplinary and context-
specific research to strengthen understanding of managing
interactions between environmental and human health.
This is especially pertinent to LMICs, where weak regula-
tion for sustainable consumption and production may
have critical health consequences [3,23,24]. Importantly,
universities can actively champion new governance mech-
anisms that promote cross-sectoral collaborations and
policy coherence.
Get involved in the political process
Universities can organise, synergise and coordinate
lobbying and advocacy activities to influence and shape
public policy, particularly with regards to the SDGs. At
the same time, governments and other key players
should ensure that universities are central in discussions
on SDGs.
Strengthen transdisciplinary learning and educational
interactions
Universities are responsible for training and shaping the
future leaders of sustainable development. By integrating
the SDGs into curricula, they can provide students with
the knowledge and skills needed to address them [5].
Moreover, they can establish educational programmes
that emphasise interdisciplinary learning and promote
multidisciplinary, systems approaches to solving the
increasingly complex challenges facing societies today.
For instance, achieving health-related SDGs in LMICs re-
quires professionals proficient in designing and evaluating
cross-cutting interventions within resource-constrained
settings, developing innovative solutions and advocating
for partnerships [19].
Demonstrate commitment to effective engagement and
impact
Universities have the capacity and capability to map,
track and systematically document efforts to link re-
search to policy and practice. They can establish
meaningful frameworks and metrics for identifying,
measuring and reporting on the right indicators in a
valid way. Evaluating the impact of these efforts enables
demonstration of commitment and progress, which are
critical for learning and improvement, promoting trans-
parency and sustaining partnerships.
Conclusions
Three years into the SDG discussions, the pace of pro-
gress has not been adequate. There is still a clear discon-
nect between governments, academic institutions and
other key actors. The risk of an SDG ‘fatigue’may ultim-
ately manifest in reverting to silo approaches to
development.
To avoid this, a necessary starting point would be to
steer the debate away from whether universities could
transcend institutional boundaries and be part of the
transformation of societies, to discussing how they
should lead the latter. This would also require a shift in
focus from data collection and monitoring of SDG pro-
gress to actively shaping better policies and actions in
support of the SDGs. Universities need to embrace their
changing roles and their unique position of influence. In
parallel, governments and other partners need to
acknowledge the role of research, data and knowledge in
informing the SDGs, and the potential of academia to
integrate different evidence ecosystems and disciplines
for successful implementation of the SDGs.
A change in mindsets and culture is needed in both
academia and government if we are to rise up to the glo-
bal challenge. This is a call to initiate the dialogue. Let
us start the conversation today so that we can achieve
the SDGs by 2030.
Abbreviations
LMICs: low- and middle- income countries; SDGs: sustainable development
goals
Authors’contributions
FEJ was involved in the conceptualisation and writing of the manuscript. NA
and RF were involved in the writing and revision of the manuscript. All
authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Publisher’sNote
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional affiliations.
Author details
1
Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences,
American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
2
Knowledge to Policy (K2P)
Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
3
Center for Systematic
Reviews on Health Policy and Systems Research (SPARK), American University
of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
El-Jardali et al. Health Research Policy and Systems (2018) 16:38 Page 4 of 5

Received: 2 February 2018 Accepted: 24 April 2018
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