The global higher education landscape has increasingly embraced the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding framework for institutional transformation, research focus and societal impact. Universities are not only centres of knowledge production, but also play a pivotal role in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, from poverty and inequality to climate change and technological advancement.
The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), as a progressive university of technology, has adopted the SDGs as a compass for shaping its research, innovation, and engagement agenda. Aligned with the national priorities of South Africa that are outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP, 2030) and continental imperatives such as the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, TUT recognises the critical importance of aligning its research outputs with sustainable development frameworks to ensure relevance, impact and global visibility.