The Context: SDGs and Institutions of Higher Education

This chapter presents the context regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). The chapter comes in three major sections dealing with SDGs localisation in the teaching and learning space; SDGs localisation in the research and development space and SDGs localisation in IHE with a focus on governance and management. Apart from the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development and its 17 intertwined SDGs, reference is made to other important global development agendas with a bearing on SDGs implementation in IHE. Such global agendas include the Paris Agreement; Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda from the United Nations’ Habitat III. The chapter concludes by presenting the Sustainable Development Goals and Institutions of Higher Education book chapter outlines covering the elements discussed in each of the 14 main chapters.