English and Creative Arts Courses Map to the UN SDGs

In 2015, the Member States of the United Nations collectively embraced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a global initiative consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These SDGs recognize that addressing issues like hunger, healthcare, water scarcity, environmental conservation and poverty alleviation must go hand in hand with promoting economic growth, education and social equality, all while addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
At LAU, we take pride in being one of the pioneering universities to incorporate the SDGs into our nutrition programs. Our courses in these fields are tailored to provide students with a unique perspective on how their studies can contribute to achieving the SDGs.
Specifically, at the English and Creative Arts Department (ECA), all four programs integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their curricula to foster cultural literacy, inclusivity, and global awareness. Programs in English, Translation, Performing Arts, and TV and Film are specifically designed to engage students in these goals and prepare them to contribute positively to society through their fields.
- In the BA English program, courses across Literature, Language, and Creative Writing tracks emphasize SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Students analyze existing and create new narratives that address issues like poverty (SDG 1), quality education (SDG 3), and decent work (SDG 8). Courses also address themes like eco-criticism, peace, and justice, highlighting the value of sustainable communities (SDG 11) and strong institutions (SDG 16) through critical discussions on health, environmental issues, and societal well-being.
- The Translation Program fosters a deep understanding of social responsibility by examining texts that promote SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Courses that focus on translating legal texts emphasize human rights and equitable legal frameworks. Additionally, courses on medical text translations tackle health and well-being (SDG 3) while others that explore technical documents address industrial innovation (SDG 9). Finally, a number of translation courses also cover themes like economic growth (SDG 8) and poverty eradication (SDG 1), with students working on materials produced by international institutions to underscore these goals.
- The Performing Arts program integrates SDGs across most of its courses. For example, ‘Art of Dance’ introduces students to gender equality (SDG 5) in the performing arts, while ‘Oriental Music Appreciation’ and ‘Theories of Bodies in Performance’ engage with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). Through these and other courses like ‘Dance Composition’, students explore how performance art can contribute to a well-rounded society by addressing health, education (SDG 4), and social justice themes.
- Finally, the TV and Film program encourages students to think about the human connections across cultures, emphasizing the importance of understanding global aspirations and challenges. This program inspires creative and critical engagement with societal issues, highlighting cultural appreciation and the importance of storytelling in fostering global awareness aligned with most SDGs.
Through these initiatives, LAU’s interdisciplinary programs provide students with a comprehensive framework to explore and contribute to sustainable development, preparing them to make meaningful impacts in their respective fields.
The number of ECA courses that relate to 13 of the 17 SDGs
6
0
14
18
20
1
1
8
1
23
5
0
1
0
1
24
0