The International University of Sarajevo (IUS) has once again been recognized as a leader in integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its educational process, with its innovative approach highlighted as a case study in the SDG Accord Progress Report 2025. This marks the second consecutive year that IUS has been included in this prestigious global report, reaffirming the University’s strong and ongoing commitment to sustainability in higher education.
The SDG Accord is an international initiative that unites universities, higher education institutions, and partner organizations committed to advancing the implementation of the SDGs through education, research, and institutional practices. Each year, the Accord publishes a comprehensive progress report that celebrates universities making significant strides in embedding sustainability within their academic and operational frameworks.
In this year’s report, IUS was featured for its AI-assisted initiative that systematically maps the contributions of academic staff and study programs to specific SDGs. This pioneering process, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Büyükdağlı from the Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence study programs, with the valuable assistance of her students, provided a clear and data-driven overview of how IUS curricula and teaching activities align with the global sustainability goals.
The mapping process not only streamlined the identification of SDG-related content but also encouraged academic staff to reflect on their individual and collective contributions to sustainable development. As a result, sustainability awareness has grown across the university, while AI tools have significantly reduced the need for manual research, making data collection faster and more accurate. This allows IUS to track and enhance its sustainability performance continuously through evidence-based insights.
Furthermore, the initiative has supported student engagement through sustainability-focused courses and projects, ensuring that SDG principles are both taught and practiced. The findings have also been integrated into a new SDG section within the IUS Annual Performance Report, providing a foundation for further analysis, planning, and institutional reflection.
Reflecting on this achievement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Büyükdağlı emphasized the importance of innovation in advancing sustainability within higher education:
“I am honored that at IUS we have successfully integrated the SDGs into our curriculum in a way that is both innovative and practical. By using AI tools to analyze course materials, we have significantly eased the process of mapping faculty and course contributions to the SDGs, giving us a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of how sustainability is embedded in our teaching.
This methodology not only saves time but also encourages our colleagues to actively reflect on their impact on sustainable development, which is essential for continuous improvement. I am proud that IUS is leading the region in integrating sustainability into higher education, and I believe our example will inspire other universities to adopt a similar approach.”
Through this ongoing commitment, IUS continues to position itself as a regional leader in sustainable education, ensuring that its students and staff play an active role in addressing global challenges through research, innovation, and responsible learning.
For more information, read the full SDG Accord Progress Report 2025 and explore the IUS case study featured in this year’s publication.
