The main domains of the UNESCO Chair’s projects correspond directly to the priorities of UNESCO and the Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030 through the integrated disciplines of anticipation, futures studies, futures literacy, and sustainability studies for humanity’s well-being.

PROJECTS CORRESPONDING TO UNESCO PRIORITIES FOR 2018-2021

● ‘Shaping the future of international agenda on education for sustainable development’

IIUM is the Secretariat for RCE Greater Gombak – a global network of Regional Centre of Expertise on Education Sustainable Development practitioners, under the auspices of United Nations University.

● ‘Multidisciplinary approaches in addressing complex challenges’

The projects combine Futures Studies with the studies of sustainability, humanity, and well-being. IIUM has been advocating a transdisciplinary approach in all its functions

● ‘Futures-oriented understanding of the dynamics at work, based on the approach of sustainability science, to assist countries in the design and review of inclusive evidence-based public policies’

Through the RCE functions – collaboration of experts, citizens, and decision-makers in discussing philosophical and strategic questions as related to the future, focusing on questions of desired and alternative futures, and hidden assumptions these futures are based on.

● “Use of foresight and anticipation to fulfill its function as a global laboratory of ideas by mapping out current and future needs, and to design innovative proposals for the development of public policies

Through fostering an investigation into the future of learning, shifting the debate from knowledge societies to learning and healing cultures, thereby building cycles of learning into futures thinking in the context of ensuring well-being, sustainability, and humanity.

PROJECT CORRESPONDING TO THE MEDIUM-TERM STRATEGY FOR 2014-2021

● “Contributes to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, and sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information”

With the concept of RCE as the main approach, all the projects are designed to address the concerns with education for sustainable development (ESD) as the main tool

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

● IIUM has adopted SDG 17 as its mission to ‘humanise higher education through maqasid shariah and sustainable development’.

Thus, all functions and operations are SDG oriented. All the projects incorporate SDG 4 (inclusive quality education for all) as the main focus. The inclusion of the virtual also enables this Chair to reach out to further constituencies for more inclusive and therefore more sustainable futures, finding sustainability in plurality.

CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

● The project will contribute to national development through their input into Malaysian sustainable development agenda through the RCE platform whereby IIUM works collaboratively with government agencies, members of parliament and at least 50 NGOs and industrial players.

● The regional contribution will be through the same RCE platform whereby IIUM has access to at least another 50 RCE in Asia region with no less than 50 universities for potential collaborative projects and partners for the proposed project.