Abstract:

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a series of commitments, adopted by the member countries of the United Nations in 2015, which seek to address global challenges such as poverty, climate change, education, and social inequality. These goals have been designed to be achieved by 2030, and due to the lack of time to accomplish them, it is essential to make a universal call for joint efforts from various sectors of society to drive actions and take concrete steps to promote the necessary transformations to reach a sustainable future for all. In this sense, the University can contribute positively to the achievement of these goals through academic and research programs that directly address the challenges posed, as well as by promoting awareness and participation of students in activities related to the SDGs, transmitting critical thinking, and helping them to acquire cognitive skills essential for their academic and professional success. Likewise, through the scientific and engineering sectors, a context of equality and social inclusion can be created to help conceive these areas of research as a flexible process open to change, which allows contributing to individual and social progress through sustainable practices. Therefore, the objective of this work is to promote awareness and active participation of university students in environmental and social sustainable practices that contribute to climate change mitigation and the achievement of the SDGs.

A series of educational activities have been proposed to students from different courses and degrees of Science and Engineering (Chemical Engineering, Industrial Organization Engineering, Energy Engineering and Environmental Sciences), such as micro-presentations following the elevator pitch methodology and the preparation of short videos as learning pills, among others. These activities were designed with the intention of teaching students about the importance of achieving the SDGs, from both, the environmental and social point of view. During these presentations, students were invited to present and argue about how an industrial chemical process, product or chemical experiment performed by them in the laboratory might contribute positively to the achievement of the SDGs or, if not, they were encouraged to propose the necessary modifications and improvements to ensure their fulfilment. This teaching approach has provided students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how the SDGs can be applied in practice and how their active participation can contribute to a more sustainable future. In addition, students have acquired valuable skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and effective use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), using an active learning approach. Additionally, the evaluation, co-evaluation and self-evaluation mechanisms were implemented, such as the use of rubrics, providing a more objective evaluation, detailed feedback and promoting the development of key competencies for the future of students. After the evaluation of the proposed activities, it can be concluded that perception of students has changed, and they are now more aware of the current state and the changes that need to be made to comply with some of the objectives proposed for the agenda of 2030 according to the SDGs.

Keywords:

Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainability, STEM, Chemical Engineering Education.