Dedicated Courses and Degree Programmes Addressing Sustainability and the SDG
An-Najah National University offers a substantial and expanding portfolio of dedicated academic programmes, compulsory and elective university courses, and specialist sustainability training courses that explicitly address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These educational opportunities cover the environmental, social, economic, health, technological and governance dimensions of sustainable development. They enable students to study sustainability at different levels—from introductory university-wide education to specialised bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programmes.
The University’s approach is guided by its Sustainability Policy, Sustainability Plan and university-wide commitment to SDG education for all students. Academic provision is complemented by the Sustainable Development Office, the SDG Training Academy and dedicated climate-science and environmental-sustainability education.
Together, these provisions demonstrate that sustainability and the SDGs are addressed through both complete academic degrees and dedicated courses available at different stages and across multiple disciplines.
An-Najah offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes whose subject matter directly addresses sustainability, environmental protection, clean energy, sustainable cities, water security, resilient infrastructure, food systems, public health, social justice and inclusive communities.
Environment, Energy, Water and Sustainable Engineering
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Bachelor’s Programme in Energy and Environmental Engineering
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Bachelor’s Programme in Planning Engineering and City Technology
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PhD Programme in Engineering Systems Management and Sustainability
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Master’s Programme in Urban and Regional Planning Engineering
These programmes address renewable energy, resource efficiency, pollution prevention, sustainable production, environmental assessment, water management, resilient infrastructure, sustainable transport, disaster-risk reduction and sustainable urban development.
Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Nutrition
These programmes contribute to sustainable agriculture, food security, sustainable food production, nutrition, public health and responsible consumption.
Health and Well-Being
These programmes support SDG 3 through education in public-health systems, disease prevention, community health, mental well-being, health information and equitable access to healthcare.
Social Sustainability, Human Rights and Inclusive Communities
These programmes address poverty reduction, social protection, human rights, equality, inclusive education, community well-being, peaceful institutions and the development of sustainable and inclusive communities.
In addition to complete degree programmes, An-Najah offers dedicated credit-bearing courses addressing sustainable development and the SDGs.
Community Service and Sustainability
The Community Service and Sustainability Course is a compulsory university course through which students study sustainability and the SDGs and apply their learning through organised community-service activities.
The course connects academic learning with practical action, enabling students to examine community needs, ethical responsibility, volunteering, social inclusion and sustainable local development.
Sustainable Development and Planning
The dedicated elective course in Sustainable Development and Planning examines sustainable-development concepts, planning approaches and the integration of environmental, economic and social considerations into development decisions.
Additional discipline-specific courses addressing climate science, energy, water, environmental management, sustainable cities, agriculture, public health, social justice and responsible business are delivered within the relevant academic programmes. Further examples are documented through the University’s Climate Science and Environmental Sustainability Education evidence.
The University has expanded its dedicated sustainability provision through the SDG Training Academy. The Academy offers structured specialist courses with defined learning objectives, course content, instructors, learning activities and opportunities for digital certification.
These courses supplement formal degree and elective provision and allow students and other learners to develop focused sustainability knowledge and professional skills.
Sustainability Foundations and Environmental Management
Sustainable Community Development
Sector-Specific Sustainability Courses
The complete and regularly updated catalogue is available through the Sustainability Courses portal. The Academy’s courses provide focused learning in areas including climate action, circular economy, renewable energy, urban sustainability, ESG, community resilience, social inclusion and sustainability consulting.
The University continues to expand and update its sustainability-related academic provision.
New PhD Programme in Engineering Systems Management and Sustainability
In 2025, An-Najah launched a specialised PhD programme in Engineering Systems Management and Sustainability in strategic partnership with UPC BarcelonaTech. The programme strengthens advanced education and research in sustainable engineering, systems management, resilience and responsible technological development.
SDGs Integrated into Course-Based Student Projects
Students in the Conference and Event Management course designed and implemented 4Sustain, a simulation of an international SDG summit. The activity enabled students to apply course learning to sustainable-event planning, stakeholder communication and the design of initiatives connected to the SDGs.
Sustainable Architecture and Public-Space Design
Architecture students applied sustainable-design principles through the 4GREENSPACES competition, developing proposals for an inclusive and environmentally sustainable public garden in Nablus.
Sustainable Food Research by Students
Students contributed to research examining the use of spent coffee grounds in sustainable food production, demonstrating the application of circular-economy and waste-reduction principles in food science.
These examples demonstrate that dedicated sustainability education is translated into applied assignments, student research, sustainable design and community-oriented problem-solving.
Responsibility for developing and supporting sustainability education is shared across the University’s academic and institutional structures, including academic departments, programme and curriculum committees, quality-assurance processes, the Community Service Center and the Sustainable Development Office.
The University reviews and develops its academic programmes and course provision to strengthen sustainability-related learning outcomes and alignment with the SDGs. The dedicated degree programmes, official course outlines and SDG Training Academy course pages provide transparent evidence of the content and learning opportunities available.
Supporting institutional evidence includes:
Through this combination of complete academic programmes, compulsory and elective courses, specialist training and applied student learning, An-Najah National University demonstrates a sustained institutional commitment to providing dedicated education that addresses sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals.