Achieving Excellence in Sustainable Development Goals in Sunway University Malaysia

The Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development (JSC) was established in 2016 to promote United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a generous grant of USD 10 million from the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. To enhance SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals, JSC has successfully conducted a series of well attended public lectures and workshops among Asean ministers, senior government officers, private enterprises and the public. Three additional core SDGs are identified for implementation: SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being; SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 13: Climate Action. This paper outlines research and community outreach undertaken by JSC, in collaboration with local and international partners, to develop competences, expertise and talents in SDG 17 and three other core SDGs identified. On SDG 3, JSC advises Malaysian Ministry of Health in formulating model DEER for licensing of dengue vaccine Dengvaxia based upon a set of five criteria: safety, efficacy, equity, affordability and cost effectiveness. On SDG 6, JSC conducts field and laboratory experiments coupled with simulations using model E2Algae to implement effective measures for controlling eutrophication in a lake near campus. SDG 13 on climate action is intimately connected to SDG 14: Life under water and SDG 15: Life on land, viewed in the perspective of mangrove conservation.