Sustainable Development Goals as a Framework for Postgraduate Future Research Following COVID-19 Pandemic: A New Norm for Developing Countries

Abstract

Purpose and Significance: Education is regarded as the key to economic development, and COVID-19 has provided all universities the unique opportunity to urgently address their fitness for purpose. Universities can play a significant role in contributing to a more sustainable world by mainstreaming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at postgraduate levels. The opportunity to utilize United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) as the framework for postgraduate projects in solving real world’s challenges in our communities after the COVID-19 pandemic was explored. Main Body: One way of ensuring concomitant attainments of the SDGs with community development is that post-COVID-19 postgraduate projects should be purposively driven to address UN SDGs to make positive social impact in our communities. Through this, higher education institutions (HEIs) will be contributing in no little measures to human capital and social development with sustainable developments driven through interdisciplinary approach. Conclusion: The research products upon the completion of master’s and doctoral studies from our different universities should be purposively designed in accordance with the UN SDGs and universities’ visions to solve real-life challenges and therefore make social impacts in our communities. All HEIs should embrace an integrated approach by designing courses with learning objectives that are clearly focused on holistic approaches to sustainable societal development.