Becoming Solution Finders: Fostering global citizenship and commitment to sustainable development through course assessment

Heriot-Watt Malaysia (HWUM) is pioneering efforts to infuse the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and key indicators into the oral presentation assessment of specialist courses. Student project topics are mapped to one of the SDGs, this becomes the focus for the project challenge, design, and solution. By developing this challenge-focused approach to knowledge development, decision making and communication, students attained practical insight and experience of on how they can take collective responsibility as global citizens to be solution finders that bring positive impact to the world (Lang et al., 2012). This also directly links assessment authentically to the graduate attributes HWU graduates are supported to develop (Global, Specialist, Professional, and Creative) and the core skills they will require as they step out into their communities and the world of work.