Using the 17 SDGs as a framework, the SDG Study Scheme in the General Education curriculum aims at helping students develop the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to solving complex global challenges.
As one of Hong Kong’s leading universities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has local, national and global responsibilities. We are committed to translating our social responsibilities into action, by empowering and transcending our core functions – teaching, research and engagement —To tackle various pressing social issues and sustainability challenges.
To better prepare students for the challenges of tomorrow, the Office of University General Education (OUGE), CUHK launched an optional SDG Study Scheme in the 2020–21 academic year.
Students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning and adopt SDGs as a unifying theme to extend their learning from knowledge-based courses to experiential and service learning.
The Study Scheme has three components, combining knowledge-based learning with experiential and service learning. Under the Study Scheme, students have to fulfill ALL of the following requirements:
- A short online course “How to achieve the SDGs” by the SDG Academy, which provides an overview of the SDGs and their significance;
- Three knowledge-based General Education courses (“SDG-GE”); and
- One social-engagement course (“SDG-SE”), or engagement in at least 80 hours of co-curricular voluntary activity (“SDG-VA”).
Students are awarded an SDG Explorer certificate if they fulfill all of the stipulated requirements of the Study Scheme. Those who perform well in the scheme and have outstanding performance in SDG-SE or SDG-VA are named SDG Achievers.