Sustainable Development Office
AASTMT’s Dedicated SDG Workforce Network Advancing Sustainable Development
1. Institutional Overview
The Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) demonstrates its deep commitment to sustainability through an embedded internal structure that supports the systematic advancement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is accomplished via an officially designated team of SDG Officers, each assigned to lead and coordinate activities, initiatives, and reporting on one of the 17 global goals.
AASTMT maintains a dedicated internal team of SDG Officers, each tasked with advancing sustainable development across the university. These officers are officially assigned by the university President with the mandate and responsibility to lead, coordinate, and deliver sustainability impact aligned with the 17 UN SDGs. This team structure functions as AASTMT’s internal engine for driving forward sustainable change
2. Dedicated SDG Officer Network
Rather than relying on a single office or unit, AASTMT has adopted a distributed sustainability leadership model, where each SDG is championed by an assigned SDG Officer — a faculty or staff member selected based on expertise and institutional role.
Structure of the Sustainability Officer Team:
- Each SDG is assigned an official SDG Officer
- Each officer is supported by a multi-disciplinary working group of staff and faculty drawn from different colleges, departments, and campuses
- Officers coordinate directly with the Vice President for Community Service, Sustainable Development, and Training
This model allows for dedicated focus on every individual SDG, while ensuring university-wide integration of sustainability efforts.
3. Responsibilities of SDG Officers
Each SDG Officer is entrusted with the strategic and operational oversight of their assigned goal, in addition to their primary job role. Their sustainability mandate includes:
|
Responsibility Area |
Details |
|---|---|
|
SDG Integration |
Promoting goal-specific initiatives across education, operations, and outreach |
|
Program Leadership |
Leading awareness campaigns, trainings, and events related to their SDG |
|
Data & Reporting |
Collecting indicators, evidence, and impact metrics for ranking and audit purposes |
|
Collaboration |
Engaging faculty, students, alumni, and partners in SDG-aligned programs |
|
Capacity Building |
Empowering staff and students to contribute to sustainable development |
For example, the SDG 3 Officer coordinates health awareness campaigns, the SDG 5 Officer works on gender equity workshops, and the SDG 13 Officer oversees climate-related initiatives and green audits.
4. Oversight and Coordination
The entire SDG Officer network is supervised and guided by AASTMT’s Sustainable Development Directorate, housed under the Deanery of Scientific Research and Innovation. This ensures:
- Strategic alignment across all SDG efforts
- Institutional reporting to global ranking systems (UI GreenMetric, QS, THE Impact)
- Balanced integration of sustainability into academic, administrative, and campus functions
5. Recent Outcomes Enabled by the SDG Officer Model
The work of the SDG Officers has led to:
- More than 50 SDG-focused campaigns and events in the past year
- Integration of sustainability into university courses, student clubs, and research projects
- AASTMT’s advancement in global sustainability rankings
- Institution-wide engagement through student competitions, community projects, and academic events.