The United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, fight climate change, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs are interconnected; they recognize that actions in one area affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called the period leading up to the unveiling of the final objectives the "most transparent and inclusive process in UN history." Unlike the Millennium Development Goals, which were produced by a handful of persons at the UN headquarters, the Sustainable Development Goals were developed through a series of consultations.

In accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), KDI School established the Alumni SDGs Working Partner Program. The KDI School Alumni Working Partner Program is an annual program launched by the KDI School Alumni Office to connect alumni as working partners to achieve the SDGs. Participants in the program may propose global cooperation projects as well as join those that have already been proposed. Through their collaborations, we hope to accelerate positive developments that will shape the world and pave the way for the future. In terms of last year''s progress in the KDI School Alumni Working Partner Program, more than 60 projects were proposed, 25 teams were formed, and the best five teams were chosen and presented their cases at the 2021 Alumni Workshop.

The KDI School Alumni Working Partner Program has enabled KDI School alumni to think outside the box and develop some collaborative projects to demonstrate their commitment to the attainment of the SDGs in their communities. Through this program, Vincent Nkundimana (2016 MDP Alumni from Rwanda) established the African Public Policy Network (APPN), a pan-African policy think tank that serves as an umbrella for African youth and aims to promote public policy knowledge exchange, analysis, and research in order to encourage public policies that benefit Africans. Vincent Nkundimana and colleagues were able to develop collaborations with 254 Youth Policy Cafe in Kenya and SDG Youth in Korea through this effort to accelerate SDGs achievement. Also, through the KDI School Alumni SDGs Working Partner Program, Taehoon Kim (2018 MDP Alumni from Korea) conducted a feasibility study project on the development of eco-friendly maritime mobility infrastructure in the Philippines.

Both international and Korean alumni can participate in the KDI School Alumni SDGs Working Partner Program. So, if you’re interested in joining other alumni, here is the 5-step process to becoming a participant in the KDI School Alumni Working Partner Program.

1) Submit your cooperation project(s) OR/AND sign up for the projects that have already been proposed in the survey. You can propose any topic within the SDGs sector.

2) When other alumni sign up for your project, you can proceed with your project as a team.

3) An official email will be sent to the team to inform them that they have been selected as a team eligible for financial support.

4) Hold meetings and submit final reports to be eligible for financial assistance totaling $500 USD per team for selected teams.

5) All submitted reports will be evaluated to select the top 3 best performing teams, and they will be invited to the Annual Alumni Workshop in December 2022 in Korea.

The KDI School invites all alumni to participate in the KDI School Alumni SDGs Working Partner Program to implement their knowledge learnt in classrooms into the real world, bring about change, and help make progress toward the SDGs. The UN''s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have established the framework. As a result, policymakers must collaborate in order to establish a sustainable future. The KDI School Alumni SDGs Partner Program strives to engage alumni in leading global change for a better world by leveraging their expertise. The survey for project proposals closes on 31 March 2022. For additional information, kindly visit the following link.

☞ KDI School of Public Policy and Management