On Thursday, August 17, 2023, a workshop was held by HEC Sindh and UNDP in partnership with the Institute of Business Management (IoBM). The workshop was attended by policymakers and authority figures from various fields, including decision-makers, dignitaries, and officials from Sindh HEC and Sindh SDGs Support Unit, UNDP. The workshop’s main focus was to discuss the steps necessary to achieve sustainable development goals in Sindh. The speakers talked about the initiatives and measures educational institutions in Sindh should implement to meet the SDGs.

President IoBM Talib Karim stated in his Welcome Address that the Institute has been contributing to the SDGs through research. He commended Sindh HEC’s efforts to arrange workshops to facilitate academia’s research objectives and governance. Karim was optimistic that the workshop would enhance our collective knowledge. He also emphasized the importance of universities sharing best practices and conducting cross-departmental learning initiatives. Chairperson Sindh HEC Dr. S.M. Tariq Rafi urged universities to strive towards achieving their goals. Sindh HEC has started faculty-building workshops and other capacity-building and research-based programs that will be helpful in this regard. He stressed the importance of improving skills and imparting knowledge among the students. Furthermore, he encouraged knowledge-sharing among private and public sector universities.
 

Ahmed Hasan, who is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at Sindh SDGs Support Unit, emphasized the need for collaboration between academia, and private and public sectors to implement SDGs alongside the UNDP. He also presented a provincial review of SDGs in Sindh, including an overview of public expenditure and key achievements. Munib Ali Faridi, an Environmental Policy Analyst at UNDP, led a group session on developing an SDG Action Plan. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Umrani, Director of ORIC at Ziauddin University, discussed the methods for implementing SDGs and how universities can evolve through knowledge transfer, creation, implementation, and integration. Aijaz Ali Khuwaja, Planning Consultant SDG at UNDP, examined the achievability of SDG indicators. He explained how political commitment, policy coherence, and institutional development can help in realizing SDGs in Sindh. Shehzer Amir Shaikh, an Economic Policy Analyst at UNDP, presented the vote of thanks. Finally, during the closing ceremony, Rector IoBM Dr. Tariq Rahim Soomro distributed the certificates and souvenirs.