The RESODAP project
The idea of accompanying Asia-Pacific universities in the integration of sustainable development in their development plans was born in 2019 from a reflection started during the 13ème general assembly of the Regional Conference of Rectors of the Member Institutions of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie in Asia-Pacific (CONFRASIE). It was further clarified at an event on the “Integration of RSU and SDGs in the development plan of Asia-Pacific universities” organized in January 2022 by the AUF Asia-Pacific. To make it a reality, AUF Asia-Pacific launched a few months later the project “Supporting the Integration of Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Goals into the Development Plan of Universities in Asia Pacific” (RESODAP).
The RESODAP project has resulted in a guide[1] which has been adapted for online use. This website is the result.
This guide was developed on the basis of three activities. First, a review of existing RSU guides and university ranking tools was conducted in order to identify the most inspiring elements, both in terms of content and form. One tool and two guides were given particular attention: the Times Higher Education‘s international Social Impact university ranking, the French guide “Sustainable Development Goals, What Contributions from the Higher Education and Research Professions in France?” from the Conference of University Presidents, and the guide “Accelerating Education for the SDGs in Universities” from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an organization affiliated with the United Nations.
Second, a survey was conducted to determine the awareness of the 87 AUF member institutions in Asia-Pacific to the SDGs and to better understand their practices in terms of USR. This survey, conducted in the summer of 2022, was divided into two parts: 1/ a form with 130 questions divided into seven sections to which 40% of the institutions responded in full; and 2/ a database search to determine the research efforts of 24 institutions[2] on 14 themes. Through its two components, this survey revealed that higher education institutions in Asia-Pacific were responsive to many of the themes represented by the SDGs. However, few allocate resources to sustainability, offer training and research dedicated to the SDGs, or implement environmental management practices.
Finally, a consultation workshop[3] was organized on September 20 and 21, 2022 in Phnom Penh to reflect on the structure, format and content of a useful and engaging guide to raise awareness and provide tools to AUF member universities in their USR process.
[1] The report on the diagnostic survey mentioned later in this section is the first deliverable of the RESODAP project.
[2] The sample was adapted from the original sample.
[3] The workshop was attended by six regional experts (Ms. Thi Cuc Phuong NGUYEN (Hanoi University, Vietnam), Ms. Thai Huyen NGUYEN (Hanoi Architecture University, Vietnam), Mr. Eric DEHARO (Lao Development Research Institute), Mr. Ratha CHEA (Battambang National University, Cambodia), Mr. VO Trung Hung
(Danang University) and Mr. David BEL (South China Normal University) in addition to the two authors of the workshop. Ratha CHEA (Battambang National University, Cambodia), Mr. VO Trung Hung (Danang University) and Mr. David BEL (South China Normal University) in addition to the two authors of this guide (Ms. Alice Friser and Ms. Corinne Gendron).