How we help shape SDG policy, bring government, industry and civil society together, collaborate with partners worldwide, and work with NGOs and business on the goals.
UPES report on Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
How UPES contributes to partnerships for the goals
At UPES, partnership is how the work gets done. The university researches the SDGs with partners in more than a hundred countries, helps national and state governments shape policy, brings government, industry and civil society together, places every first-year student with an NGO, and reports openly on its progress across all 17 goals.
43%of SDG research written with international co-authors
121partner countries and territories in research
70+international university partners
1,230NGO partners for student internships
17public SDG reports, one for every goal
We research together
Almost half of UPES SDG research is written with co-authors abroad, including universities across the Global South.
We shape policy
UPES contributes analysis and implementation to national energy policy, state disaster resilience and Uttarakhand's start-up policy.
We convene
Forums such as Himalaya Calling and Energy Summit bring government, the UN, industry, NGOs and communities to the same table.
We share data and practice
From CERN and the Global Burden of Disease to emissions accounting, UPES contributes to global data and better practice.
We work with NGOs and business
Every first-year student spends weeks with a social organisation, and research partnerships tackle real problems with industry and civil society.
We educate for the goals
Sustainability is part of every degree, and SDG learning reaches schools, villages, staff and working professionals.
1Research for the goals
UPES researchers study every one of the Sustainable Development Goals, from climate and energy to health, finance and governance, often with government, industry and NGO partners. Almost half of this research is written with co-authors abroad. The figures below cover UPES research publications on the SDGs and partnerships for them from 2021 to 2025 (source: Scopus, October 2026).
Impact
UPES research on the SDGs is built on partnership: almost half of it is written with co-authors abroad.
393SDG research publications
7,773citations to these papers
19.8citations per paper
236journal articles and reviews
43%with international co-authors
121partner countries and territories
Partners include universities in the Global South, in countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Viet Nam and Malawi.
A UPES researcher co-authored the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 in The Lancet, used to track the health-related SDG targets.
The research spans climate, energy, policy, technology, the circular economy, water, health and education.
Who we work with
168 of the 393 papers have co-authors outside India. The most frequent partner countries, by number of papers, are United States (34), China (32), South Korea (23), Taiwan (21), United Kingdom (17), Mexico (16), United Arab Emirates (16), Malaysia (15), Australia (14), Lebanon (12). Partners also include universities in the Global South, such as in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Viet Nam and Malawi.
What the research covers
Number of papers on each theme (a paper can appear under more than one).
Theme
Papers
Climate, environment and pollution
191
SDGs, policy and governance
145
Energy and decarbonisation
133
Technology, AI and Industry 4.0/5.0
91
Business, finance and supply chains
81
Circular economy and waste
64
Agriculture, food and water
57
Health and well-being
54
Education and skills
47
Most cited work
Burden of 375 diseases and injuries, risk-attributable burden of 88 risk factors, and healthy life expectancy in 204 countries and territories, including 660 subnational locations, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023[32] (The Lancet, 2025), cited 787 times.
Novel insights into Anammox-based processes: A critical review[73] (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022), cited 266 times.
Challenges and opportunities for the application of biofuel[74] (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2017), cited 239 times.
Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) as emerging pollutant in ground water: Environmental impact, potential risks, limitations and way forward towards sustainable management[75] (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023), cited 196 times.
Technological solutions for boosting hydrogen role in decarbonization strategies and net-zero goals of world shipping: Challenges and perspectives[76] (Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2023), cited 174 times.
The full list of publications, with links, is in the annexure.
This section covers the indicator on research on the goals.
2Shaping national and state SDG policy
UPES contributes research, analysis and implementation to government policy on energy, resilience and innovation, across the policy cycle.
UPES contributes at every stage of the policy cycle: identifying problems, developing policy, modelling futures, monitoring and adaptive management.
Impact
UPES helps government make and deliver SDG policy, from national energy frameworks to disaster resilience in Uttarakhand.
5stages of the policy cycle UPES contributes to
₹14 crore+in grants secured by Runway Incubator in 2024–25
13major disasters documented in the UDAAI Monsoon Report 2025
A five-year MoU with NITI Aayog produced energy-efficiency frameworks, state assessments and joint policy briefs.
UPES is a knowledge partner and implementer of the DST–UNDP Community Resilience Resource Centres.
Recommendations on glacial-lake monitoring and early warning were submitted to the Government of Uttarakhand.
National
NITI Aayog. UPES has fed its research directly into national energy policy. In January 2017, UPES became the first higher education institution to partner with NITI Aayog, as reported by The Economic Times. The five-year MoU (2017–2022) with the Government of India's policy think tank covered a national energy-efficiency framework and assessment of states, market mechanisms for residential energy efficiency, policy inputs on high renewable-energy penetration and clean-coal technology, an India–Japan comparison of grid integration, an evaluation framework to help states monitor efficiency policies, and joint policy briefs. NITI Aayog's Energy Division lists UPES among its knowledge partners for research, modelling and writing on energy-sector policy. Source: MoU between NITI Aayog and UPES (Newsvoir), UPES Annual Report 2016–17 (PDF), NITI Aayog Energy Division: knowledge partners.
economictimes.indiatimes.com
Source: The Economic Times, 18 January 2017, “MoU signed between NITI Aayog and University of Petroleum and Energy Studies”.
Gas market regulation. UPES gave policy input to India's gas regulator. It submitted a formal response to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board's concept paper on unbundling gas transport and marketing, covering legal options, sequencing, regulatory certainty, capacity trading and indicators for when to unbundle. Source: UPES response to PNGRB on gas unbundling (PDF).
DST–UNDP Community Resilience Resource Centres. UPES helps deliver this national policy programme, which uses science and technology for post-COVID recovery, as a knowledge partner and implementer. It presented its experience to policymakers at the 2023 UN STI Forum side event alongside the DST Secretary and the UNDP Resident Representative in India. Source: DST side event, Garhwal Post.
Energy and the SDGs. In 2019 UPES hosted the 2nd International Conference-Workshop on Energy Innovation Initiatives for Attaining the SDGs under the aegis of NITI Aayog, with Arizona State University and IPE Global, where policymakers and regulators discussed policy on the governance, financing and ownership of SDG-enabling energy projects. Source: Energy Innovation Initiatives for Attaining SDGs, 2019 (PDF), Garhwal Post.
Disaster resilience. UPES gives the state government evidence for disaster policy. In December 2025 the UPES School of Law, the SDC Foundation and the Society for Constitutional Law and Human Rights released "Uttarakhand on Edge: UDAAI's Monsoon Report 2025", documenting 13 major disasters and recommending glacial-lake monitoring, better early warning and a unified Himalayan resilience policy to the state government. Source: UDAAI Monsoon Report 2025 (Garhwal Post), HimbuMail.
Delivering innovation policy. UPES helps put Uttarakhand's start-up policy into practice. Its Runway Incubator is a nodal agency under Uttarakhand's start-up policy, hosts a DST inclusive technology incubator and is developing an Atal Community Innovation Centre with NITI Aayog. In 2024–25 it secured more than ₹14 crore in grants from DST, MeitY, DBT-BIRAC, Startup Uttarakhand and NITI Aayog. Source: UPES start-ups, Startup Uttarakhand recognised incubators.
Beyond SDG 17, UPES has contributed to government policy and programmes across many of the goals. The table brings that work together.
Goal
What UPES did
Government partner
Source
SDG 2
UPES hosted Uttarakhand's first Technical Support Unit for Large-Scale Food Fortification, funded by the UN World Food Programme with the state government. A UPES faculty member sits on its core technical committee, and the unit supported the state's rice fortification programme in Vikasnagar block.
UN World Food Programme; Government of Uttarakhand
Teaching and infrastructure support for about 12 government schools and more than 700 pupils with Samagra Shiksha Uttarakhand, the state school-education programme.
A five-year MoU with NITI Aayog (2017–2022) on national energy-efficiency policy; UPES is listed among the partners of NITI Aayog's Energy Division for research, modelling and writing on energy policy.
A May 2022 workshop for state officials and partners including GIZ, TCE and UPCL on the Multisectoral Energy Action Plan of Uttarakhand, with UPES faculty advising on routes to lower the state's carbon emissions.
Government of Uttarakhand; UPCL; GIZ
UPES report on SDG 13
SDG 11
Research on Dehradun's air quality and public transport, advice on the city's solid waste management, and research on rural solar micro-grids for a UNDP clean-energy initiative.
A smart city proposal prepared with the Jal Vayu Vihar Residents Welfare Association (2022), and research, internships and knowledge exchange with Dehradun Smart City Limited.
"Uttarakhand on Edge: UDAAI's Monsoon Report 2025", documenting 13 disasters and recommending stronger glacial-lake monitoring, early warning and a unified Himalayan resilience policy to the state government.
A three-year project funded by the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) with Kumaun University on livelihoods in Uttarkashi; fire-fighting tools developed with the Forest Research Institute and supplied to forest departments in Uttarakhand, Kerala and Odisha.
MoEFCC; Forest Research Institute; state forest departments
Uttarakhand's Technology and Innovation Support Centre since 2023, a recognised nodal incubator channelling Startup Uttarakhand grants, and ₹2.5 crore from NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission for a planned Atal Community Innovation Centre.
Startup Uttarakhand; NITI Aayog (Atal Innovation Mission)
With immense pride we are pleased to announce that UPES School of Law has today signed a strategic (see Events and activities).
This section covers the indicator on relationships with government and NGOs on SDG policy.
3Bringing sectors together on the SDGs
UPES starts and hosts regular forums where government, the UN, industry, NGOs, researchers, students and communities work on shared goals.
Impact
UPES brings government, the UN, industry, NGOs, researchers and communities to the same table to work on shared goals.
1,600delegates at Himalaya Calling 2025
~200papers at Energy Summit 2025
25+institutes at Udbhav 2025
7High Courts represented at the 2024 law conference
The Governor of Uttarakhand opened Himalaya Calling 2025, linking Himalayan protection to the SDGs.
IRENA's Deputy Director-General was chief guest at Energy Summit 2025.
The state's IT Development Agency ran the first Uttarakhand AI Mission hackathon at UPES.
Forums UPES runs
Himalaya Calling 2025 (9–11 September). Opened by the Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), HILL's global summit linked Himalayan protection to the SDGs. Sessions brought an NHRC advisory group member, UNDP's Action for Climate and Environment programme and the Indian Youth Climate Network together on Himalayan climate law, and engineers, scientists and local practitioners together on nature-based solutions for rivers, so government, the UN, civil society and researchers took part in the same dialogue. Source: Governor inaugurates Himalaya Calling 2025, Climate policy and law session.
A Himalaya Calling 2025 roundtable.
Sustainability Fair 3.0 (9–10 April 2025). Hosting HSFEA-2025, the 5th International Sustainability Conference on Health, Safety, Fire and Environmental Advances, with an advisory committee from Denmark, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, alongside the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the fair brought regulators, policymakers and industry into dialogue on safety and environmental standards, and recognised companies for safety and environmental performance. Source: Sustainability Fair 3.0.
Panellists at Sustainability Fair 3.0, April 2025.
Energy Summit 2025 (11–12 November). The 4th edition, held as the International Conference on Sustainable and Affordable Energy (ICSAE 2025). With IRENA's Deputy Director-General as chief guest and ANRF support, it brought CSIR, universities from India, the US and Germany, industry and more than 100 school students together to discuss reliable, affordable, low-carbon energy. Source: Energy Summit 2025, Pioneer Edge.
Energy Summit 2025 (ICSAE 2025), 11–12 November 2025.Industry and investors on clean-energy innovation at Energy Summit 2025.
UPES International Model UN. Running since 2012, the 10th edition (1–2 November 2025) brought 300–400 student delegates, including from Sudan, Nepal, Mexico and France, to debate and negotiate SDG issues such as climate adaptation and humanitarian response in the roles of UN member states. Source: 10th UPES International MUN (MyMUN).
Udbhav 2025. The first emerging-technology hackathon of the Uttarakhand AI Mission, run by the state's IT Development Agency at UPES, with teams from IIT Roorkee, IIM Kashipur and the Forest Research Institute solving public problems, bringing government, academia and research institutes together. Source: UPES hosts Udbhav 2025 (Pioneer Edge).
Udbhav 2025, run with the Government of Uttarakhand.
ICMS 2025. With ANRF-SERB and the Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology, the conference brought government science bodies and more than 250 researchers together to discuss how mathematics can help with climate, disasters, water and energy in the Himalaya. Source: UPES hosts ICMS 2025 (Pioneer Edge).
ICMS 2025 concluded on a high note, bringing together brilliant minds, bold ideas and impactful research. (see Events and activities).
Financial literacy with SEBI. On 11 February 2025 the School of Business ran a workshop with India's securities regulator, bringing a national regulator and students together on financial literacy.
Environmental and energy law. In September 2024, with the Uttarakhand Forest Department and Pollution Control Board, the School of Law hosted the International Conference on New Paradigms in Environmental Sustainability and Energy Laws, where HESCO, UNDP Uttarakhand, the SDC Foundation, a state Special Counsel and judicial officers from seven High Courts discussed how environmental and energy law can support sustainability. Source: International Conference on Environmental Sustainability and Energy Laws.
International Conference on New Paradigms in Environmental Sustainability and Energy Laws (see Events and activities).
World Design Challenge 2023. Co-hosted with Algonquin College, Canada, under the World Design Organization, it brought universities, a global design body and industry together on design for the SDGs, with mentors from companies such as BMW and Delta Air Lines judging SDG-focused designs. Source: World Design Challenge (Algonquin College).
This section covers the indicator on cross-sectoral dialogue on the SDGs.
4International research, data and best practice
UPES works with partners abroad to gather data, compare approaches and develop better practice on the SDGs.
Impact
UPES gathers data and shares best practice with partners around the world, from CERN to the Global Burden of Disease.
70+international university partners
45%of papers with foreign co-authors, July–December 2025
UPES became the first Indian university to earn Aspire Impact's Gold Leaf certification, with full Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions accounting.
An MoU with CERN and a Belle II GRID Computing Centre connect UPES to global research data networks.
Comparative studies with partners abroad propose harmonised standards for monitoring microplastics.
Comparing approaches and setting standards
Microplastics in Germany. With Technische Hochschule Bingen, UPES researchers compiled microplastic data from German rivers, groundwater, seas and treatment plants, compared policies from the EU, France, South Korea, the Philippines and India, and proposed reporting by both mass and particle count with harmonised sampling protocols as best practice for measuring microplastics (Environmental Engineering Research, 2025). Source: Environmental Engineering Research, 2025.
Microplastics in Himalayan lakes. A systematic review of 127 studies compared the Himalaya with the Alps and Andes, reviewed policies from the UN plastics treaty talks to China and the US, and proposed best-practice frameworks for monitoring and cleaning up cold, high-altitude lakes (Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 2025). Source: Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, 2025.
Sharing practice at HSFEA-2025. In April 2025 UPES hosted its 5th International Sustainability Conference, where international researchers, policymakers and industry shared best practice through case studies, success stories and lessons in health, safety, environment and sustainability. Source: Sustainability Fair 3.0.
Sustainability Fair 3.0, which hosted HSFEA-2025, April 2025.
Visiting faculty. Norwegian neuropsychologist Dr Knut Hestad brought international clinical and research practice to UPES through a six-session series on depression, HIV-related cognitive deficits and ageing. Source: Neuropsychology meets liberal studies (LinkedIn).
Interdisciplinary Learning in Action: Neuropsychology Meets Liberal Studies (see Events and activities).
One Health and bioinformatics. UPES shares and compares research approaches through international collaborations with Leipzig University, Germany, on human, animal and environmental health, and with the University of Auckland, New Zealand, on bioinformatics.
Research across borders. International co-authorship lets UPES compare approaches with partners abroad. 43% of UPES's SDG research papers have international co-authors, from 121 countries and territories (see Section 1). A review of hydrogen technologies for net-zero strategies, for example, was written with partners in the UAE, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Viet Nam, Poland, Spain and Turkey.
Impact measurement. UPES measures its own impact against international standards. It became the first Indian university to earn Aspire Impact's Gold Leaf certification, after a standards-based assessment with full Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas accounting, and published its Impact Assessment Report 2024–25 and GHG Emissions Report; and the RISE Centre's executive programme teaches ESG through more than 50 Indian and global case studies. Source: UPES earns Gold sustainability impact certification (GUS news), RISE Centre at UPES.
Clean energy in practice. UPES has contributed research and capacity building to UNDP clean-energy initiatives, and distributed solar lamps to households with ASHRAE. Source: How UPES is contributing to the SDGs.
Engagement with international universities
UPES schools host joint events, masterclasses and delegations with universities abroad, bringing international expertise to shared problems.
University
UPES engagement
SDGs
University of Bologna, Italy
An International Colloquium on Gender and Social Justice, hosted by the School of Liberal Studies and Media in collaboration with the University of Bologna
SDG 5, 16, 17
Clark University, USA
A School of Business masterclass with Prof Cynthia Caron, “Empower. Innovate. Sustain.”, on the role of business consulting in climate resilience
SDG 4, 13, 17
University of Malta
A delegation visit to the School of Computer Science explored joint research on AI in health care, including transcriptomics, OCR and NLP for medical records, data collaboration with Malta's Ministry of Health, and student exchanges. In October 2024, a UPES faculty member joined a proposal-development workshop at the University of Malta with partners from the USA, the UK, Italy, Lithuania and Norway to prepare a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network proposal on digital health twins with explainable AI
SDG 3, 9, 17
Breaking Barriers, Building Voices | International Colloquium on Gender & Social Justice (see Events and activities).Empower. Innovate. Sustain. (see Events and activities).A recent visit of the delegates from the University of Malta at UPES has opened promising avenues to (see Events and activities).
Global data infrastructure
Global Burden of Disease. A UPES School of Health Sciences researcher is a co-author of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (The Lancet, 2025), which measures 375 diseases and injuries, 88 risk factors and healthy life expectancy in 204 countries and territories. Its estimates are used to track the health-related SDG targets. Source: The Lancet, 2025.
Belle II. UPES runs a Belle II GRID Computing Centre, part of the international network that stores and processes data from the Belle II experiment at KEK, Japan. Source: UPES Research Brochure (PDF).
The International Workshop on Accelerators, November 2025, with speakers from Japan, France, the UK and Thailand.
This section covers the indicators on international collaboration on data gathering and collaboration for best practice.
5Working with NGOs and business
UPES students, researchers and staff work with NGOs and companies on volunteering, research and learning resources for the SDGs.
Impact
Every first-year student works with a social organisation, so partnership with NGOs becomes a habit for life.
1,230NGO partners for Srijan
5,000+students placed with NGOs
~2 lakhdays contributed to social projects
300+GS3 student volunteers
Partners include Goonj, CRY, Teach for India, Sewa International, WWF and Greenpeace.
Student projects have restored wells and ponds, cleaned rivers and supported menstrual health in government schools.
Research partnerships with HESCO, the SDC Foundation, Aspire Impact and HCLTech address Himalayan resilience, impact measurement and low-carbon industry.
Student volunteering
Srijan Social Internship. This is UPES's largest collaboration with NGOs. Since June 2021, every first-year student spends six to eight weeks full-time with a social organisation. It has three parts: a 10-hour pre-internship course on social issues such as health, education and poverty, the internship itself, and a post-internship phase in which students share what they learned with peers, seniors, faculty and staff. Partners have included Goonj, CRY, Teach for India, Sewa International, WWF, Greenpeace, Salaam Baalak Trust and NIIT Foundation. Students have served meals with Divya Prem Seva Mission, distributed reusable sanitary products with Human For Humanity, taught digital skills with Optasia Foundation, installed water filters with Urvita, restored wells and ponds under the Jal Jeevan Mission with Bhawana Sewa Sansthan, and planted trees with Green Birds Foundation. In 2025 Srijan 5.0 interns worked with Rise Foundation on afforestation and waste projects. Source: Srijan Social Internship, CM inaugurates UPES social internship programme (Garhwal Post).
GS3. Students from the first Srijan cohort founded the Global Society of Social Soldiers, a student-run social organisation that works with schools and communities. Its Project Naraini ran five river clean-ups in Dehradun, Project Sakhi gave 1,200 sanitary pads and menstrual-health sessions to more than 1,000 girls in 10 government schools, and Project Ayushman taught hygiene and resource conservation to about 1,000 students in eight schools. Source: Srijan Social Internship and GS3.
Legal awareness in village schools. As student volunteering under Srijan, the School of Law's Legal Aid Clinic and the UPES CSR team ran "Good Touch and Bad Touch" sessions for government-school students in Kharakhet, Misrapatti, Kandoli and Harriawala. Source: Good Touch and Bad Touch awareness (LinkedIn).
A “Good Touch and Bad Touch” session at a government school under the Srijan programme.
DaanUtsav with Goonj. Working with the NGO Goonj since 2022, students and staff have collected clothes and essentials for an old age home and a slum community in Dehradun. Source: DSO Community Engagement & Social Impact Report.
Reimagining responsibility with Goonj at UPES.
Research with NGOs and business
SDC Foundation. A research partnership with the SDC Foundation, a Dehradun-based environmental action and advocacy group: together with the Society for Constitutional Law and Human Rights, they wrote the UDAAI Monsoon Report 2025 on Uttarakhand's disasters. Source: UDAAI Monsoon Report 2025 (Garhwal Post).
Heartfulness. In March 2024 the School of Health Sciences and Technology worked with trainers from the Heartfulness organisation to run a three-day meditation workshop for about 150 faculty, students and staff, in line with UGC guidance on mental health, and collected pulse, oxygen-saturation and blood-pressure data before and after sessions.
The Heartfulness meditation workshop with the School of Health Sciences and Technology, March 2024.
HCLTech. A research partnership with business: an MoU with HCLTech on sustainability and low-carbon solutions for the oil and gas industry, with internships. Source: HCLTech press release.
Project Ekalavya. Working with the Ladli Foundation and Byju's, GS3 students mentored about 1,000 children, including children of campus security staff and nearby villagers, who received digital learning subscriptions. Source: UPES vision for community empowerment (TheCSRUniverse).
Made for NGOs. Srijan interns have created videos and presentations used by Parivartan Social Foundation to help rural students prepare for board exams, and environmental-studies lesson plans for primary teachers with Roopayan. Source: Internship journey with UPES students (Rise Foundation), Srijan Social Internship.
ESG education. A learning resource built with partners: the Impact Specialist Programme, built with Aspire Impact and Mahindra University, offers 20 sessions and more than 50 caselets on net zero, circularity and impact. Source: UPES executive education on ESG (PR Newswire).
This section covers the indicator on collaboration with NGOs: volunteering, research and learning resources.
6Reporting progress on every SDG
UPES publishes a separate public report on its progress towards each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Each report sets out the university's research, operations, policies and community work for that goal, with links to its sources.
Impact
UPES reports openly on its progress towards every one of the 17 goals.
17separate public SDG reports
Each report sets out research, operations, policies and community work for its goal, with links to its sources.
UPES publishes a separate report for each of the 17 SDGs.
This section covers the indicator on publication of SDG reports.
7Education for the SDGs
Every UPES undergraduate learns about sustainability, and many choose dedicated degrees. Outreach education for the wider community is set out in Section 8, and how UPES measures sustainability literacy in Section 9.
Impact
Sustainability is part of every UPES degree, and many students choose a dedicated sustainability degree.
172courses on climate, environment, energy, health or society
6,500students a year in the School for Life
20,000+learners reached by the School for Life since 2020
Every undergraduate takes an Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change course with a Living Lab.
Dedicated degrees range from Sustainability Engineering to Energy and Environmental Law.
Every first-year student completes a social internship with an NGO.
For every student
School for Life. Since 2020, undergraduates across all schools take at least 18 credits of life-skills and interdisciplinary courses, including a four-credit Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change course with a Living Lab, and can choose Environment and Sustainability or Ethical Leadership in the 21st Century, so every undergraduate learns about sustainability. Source: School for Life.
The School for Life Ambassadors Programme.
Design your own degree. The ABLE academic framework lets students add minors outside their main field, such as Sustainability Engineering, Climate Change or Disaster Management, so students can study the SDGs alongside their main degree. Source: Design Your Own Degree: academic framework.
Learning by doing. The mandatory Srijan Social Internship[45] places every first-year student with an NGO working on the SDGs, after a 10-hour course on India's development challenges, with sessions led by UN representatives and Presidential Award winners.
A department for sustainability. The School of Advanced Engineering's Department of Sustainability Engineering[66] leads teaching and research on sustainability, and its Living Lab uses the campus itself as a place to learn (Living Lab Report[67]).
UPES teaches 172 courses on climate, environment, energy, health or society. The tables below set out the main courses every student takes and the degrees and programmes built around the goals.
Courses for every undergraduate
Programme or course
Offered by
Focus
SDGs
Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change
School for Life (all schools)
A compulsory four-credit course with a Living Lab that uses the campus as a place to learn
SDG 4, 7, 12, 13
Environment and Sustainability (elective)
School for Life (all schools)
An interdisciplinary elective on environmental challenges and sustainable solutions
SDG 13, 15
Ethical Leadership in the 21st Century (elective)
School for Life (all schools)
Ethics, values and responsible leadership
SDG 16
Srijan pre-internship course
All schools, first year
A 10-hour course on India's development challenges, with sessions by UN representatives, before an NGO internship
SDG 1, 3, 4, 17
Minors in Sustainability Engineering, Climate Change and Disaster Management
ABLE academic framework (all schools)
Students add a sustainability minor alongside their main degree
SDG 11, 13
Undergraduate degrees
Programme or course
Offered by
Focus
SDGs
B.Tech Sustainability Engineering
School of Advanced Engineering
Engineering for sustainability, linked explicitly to the Paris Agreement and the SDGs
SDG 7, 9, 11, 13
B.Tech Renewable and Sustainable Energy Engineering
School of Advanced Engineering
Renewable energy systems and sustainable energy engineering
Civil engineering with a specialisation in environmental engineering
SDG 6, 11
B.Tech Fire and Safety Engineering (ESG and Sustainability)
School of Advanced Engineering
Fire and safety engineering with an ESG and sustainability specialisation
SDG 3, 8, 11
B.Tech Computer Science with IoT and Smart Cities
School of Computer Science
Connected technologies for smarter, more sustainable cities
SDG 9, 11
Transportation and Mobility Design
School of Design
Design of sustainable transport and mobility
SDG 9, 11
BA (Hons) Environmental and Sustainability Studies
School of Liberal Studies and Media
Includes courses such as Novel Data for the SDGs and Climate Finance and Green Transitions
SDG 13, 15, 17
BA/BBA LL.B. (Hons) Energy and Environmental Law
School of Law
Law and policy for energy, environment and climate
SDG 7, 13, 16
B.Sc. Food, Nutrition and Dietetics programmes
School of Health Sciences and Technology
Nutrition, dietetics and food science
SDG 2, 3
B.Pharm., B.MLS and B.AOTT
School of Health Sciences and Technology
Pharmacy, medical laboratory science, and anaesthesia and operation theatre technology
SDG 3
Postgraduate degrees
Programme or course
Offered by
Focus
SDGs
M.Tech Sustainability Engineering
School of Advanced Engineering
Advanced sustainability engineering, with an optional pathway to a PhD
SDG 7, 9, 11, 13
M.Tech Renewable Energy
School of Advanced Engineering
Renewable energy technologies and systems
SDG 7, 13
M.Tech Health, Safety and Environment
School of Advanced Engineering
Occupational health, safety and environmental management
SDG 3, 8, 12
M.Tech Disaster Management
School of Advanced Engineering
Disaster risk reduction and emergency management
SDG 11, 13
MBA Power Management (Green Energy and Transition to Sustainability)
School of Business
Management of the power sector and the transition to clean energy
SDG 7, 13
MBA Healthcare Management
School of Health Sciences and Technology
Management of health-care organisations
SDG 3
LL.M. Environmental and Energy Law
School of Law
Advanced environmental and energy law
SDG 7, 13, 16
M.Sc. Nutrition and Dietetics
School of Health Sciences and Technology
Advanced nutrition and dietetics
SDG 2, 3
M.Sc. Petroleum Geoscience with Environmental Geochemistry
School of Advanced Engineering
Geoscience with a focus on environmental geochemistry
SDG 7, 13
Professional programmes and fellowships
Programme or course
Offered by
Focus
SDGs
ESG, Sustainability and Impact Specialist Programme
RISE Centre, with Mahindra University and Aspire Impact
Executive education for professionals leading ESG and net-zero transitions
SDG 12, 13, 17
Himalayan Fellowship
Himalayan Institute for Learning and Leadership
A four-week field fellowship for 25 undergraduates, each awarded ₹30,000, on climate change, biodiversity and cultural resilience
SDG 13, 15, 17
This section covers the indicators on commitment to meaningful education on the SDGs and specific courses on sustainability.
8Education for the wider community
UPES runs dedicated outreach education for people beyond its students: local schools and teachers, village communities, the families of migrant workers, its own support staff, working professionals and the public.
Impact
SDG learning at UPES reaches schools, villages, migrant families, support staff and professionals, free of charge for the community.
700+pupils in about 12 Samagra Shiksha partner schools
~1,200women trained under Project Lakhon Khawahishen
155students at GIC Paundha solving local problems
~60support staff trained through the Skill Development Programme
Teachers from local government schools are trained in digital teaching.
Children of migrant construction workers get day care and education on campus.
Villagers learn computer and internet skills, and women learn livelihood skills.
Schools and teachers
Local schools. UPES takes SDG learning into local schools through the "Become a Community Problem Solver" programme for 155 students at Government Inter College, Paundha (August 2026), run by Runway Incubator and the Department of Social Outreach, where students designed solutions to local problems from waste and road safety to water and farm markets; LearnShala centres and maths and science camps in government primary schools; support for about 12 government schools and more than 700 pupils with Samagra Shiksha Uttarakhand, including a maths and science fair; an equality awareness drive in 16 government schools; and more than 100 school students presenting at Energy Summit 2025. Source: UPES CSR inspires school students in STEM (Garhwal Post), Project EDUDHURMA.
Students and teachers of GIC Paundha with the UPES team, August 2026.
Teachers. Project Dronasthali trained more than 30 primary teachers from 15 Dehradun schools in digital teaching, and Project Utkarsh supports 14 local schools with academic help and career counselling. Source: DSO Community Engagement & Social Impact Report, Project Dronasthali.
Families of migrant workers. Project Samvedna gives day care and education to the children of migrant construction workers on UPES campuses. Source: UPES CSR reshaping lives of young students.
Communities. DigitalDhaam teaches computer and internet skills in nearby villages; Project Lakhon Khawahishen paired reusable menstrual cups with 90 days of training and follow-up for about 1,200 women; and Project Vikalp trains rural women in recycling, craft design and medicinal plant farming. Source: UPES social impact, DSO Community Engagement & Social Impact Report.
A menstrual health session for women from nearby villages.
Staff, professionals and the public
Staff. About 60 support staff have been trained through the Skill Development Programme and 22 through Project Grow, and Project Swavalamban teaches Class IV women employees English, digital skills and their legal rights. Source: How UPES is building a better world through its CSR initiatives.
Chai Par Kanooni Charcha, a legal awareness session for UPES support staff, August 2025.
Professionals and the public. The ESG, Sustainability and Impact Specialist Programme, public launches such as the UDAAI Monsoon Report, the Living Lab Summit on Earth Day, Himalaya Calling and the Sustainability Fair share SDG knowledge beyond the campus. Source: UPES executive education on ESG (PR Newswire), Himalaya Calling 2025.
This section covers the indicator on education for the SDGs in the wider community.
9Measuring sustainability literacy
UPES checks what its students understand about sustainability and the SDGs. Its main tool is the Srijan Social Internship, which every first-year student completes and which is assessed through reports, mentor feedback and structured evaluations, alongside a sustainability knowledge quiz and structured literacy tools under the Internal Quality Assurance Cell.
Impact
Every first-year student's understanding of social and sustainability issues is built and assessed through Srijan, with faculty and NGO mentors checking the learning.
5,000+students who have completed Srijan
1,230NGO partners hosting and mentoring interns
800+faculty mentors guiding interns
6–8 weeksof supervised, full-time field work for every first-year student
Students are prepared before the internship, mentored during it and assessed after it.
Assessment combines reports, mentor feedback and structured evaluations, and outcomes are mapped to academic credits.
A timed sustainability knowledge quiz and structured tools under the IQAC sustainability framework assess sustainability literacy and awareness.
Srijan: building sustainability understanding
What Srijan is. The Srijan Social Internship is a mandatory, supervised 6–8 week full-time placement for every first-year UPES student, in every school, with a social organisation working towards the SDGs. Its stated aim is to improve lives, develop empathy and build leadership, so that students understand grassroots realities, poverty and marginalisation first-hand. More than 5,000 students have taken part, with 1,230 NGOs and more than 800 faculty mentors, contributing around 200,000 human work-days a year. Source: Srijan Social Internship.
Before the internship: learning the issues. Students first take a 10-hour pre-internship course on India's development challenges, such as health, education and poverty, with sessions led by UN representatives and Presidential Award winners. They are prepared through the Pragya, Springboard and Prerana programmes and masterclasses with social-sector professionals, and UPES makes training material on the environmental and social aspects of sustainability available to students. Source: Srijan Social Internship, UPES internships ecosystem, Social Internship: Srijan.
During the internship: supervised learning. Each student is given a project and a mentor at the host organisation, and a UPES faculty mentor. Students keep a Daily Report Record (DRR) of their work, and UPES provides readings and assignments alongside the field work, so that learning happens "through action and reflection". Source: Social Internship: Srijan, What are social internships and why they matter.
Srijan: assessing what students learned
Assessment. Srijan is formally assessed. The assessment stage combines student reports, mentor feedback and structured evaluations, and internship outcomes are mapped to academic credits and career readiness. This lets UPES check, for every first-year student, how well they understood the social and sustainability issues they worked on. Source: UPES internships ecosystem: SRIJAN.
Reflection and presentation. Students record what they learned and how it is changing them in blogs and e-portfolios. After the internship they return to campus and present their learning to peers, seniors, faculty and staff at a campus-wide social fair. Source: What are social internships and why they matter.
Feedback from NGO partners. Host organisations give feedback on the interns. Partners such as Habitat for Humanity, Ladli Foundation Trust, Pinkishe Foundation and My Choices Foundation have commended the students' work and the social responsibility and leadership the internship builds. Source: High commendation by social enterprises for interns from UPES.
Assessment tools and other measures
Sustainability knowledge quiz. UPES runs a structured Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge, "Evaluating Awareness of Sustainability at UPES Through a Quiz", as a timed 15-minute online quiz. The results show UPES what its community understands about sustainability, so that it can tailor its education and sustainability initiatives accordingly. The quiz shown is the version for faculty, and UPES publishes the assessment tool it uses. Source: Sustainability awareness quiz (Microsoft Forms), UPES sustainability assessment tool (PDF).
IQAC sustainability framework. Under the sustainability framework of UPES's Internal Quality Assurance Cell, structured tools assess students' sustainability literacy and awareness. Source: Sustainability literacy at UPES (PDF), IQAC sustainability.
Himalayan Fellowship. In the Himalayan Fellowship, 25 student fellows receive one-to-one faculty mentoring through a four-week field immersion on climate change, biodiversity, cultural resilience and social-ecological systems, framed by the SDGs. Source: Himalayan Fellowship.
This section covers the indicator on measuring sustainability literacy.
Events and activities
37 events from UPES schools and departments show partnership for the goals in action, with universities, industry, government and civil society.
School of Advanced Engineering
ICMS 2025 concluded on a high note, bringing together brilliant minds, bold ideas and impactful research.
From keynote sessions to paper presentations, the conference sparked meaningful dialogue and inspired innovation at every step. Gratitude to all our speakers,…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
Featured in 3. Bringing sectors together on the SDGs: ICMS 2025
School of Advanced Engineering
Advancing Biomaterials Through Global Research Collaboration
The Mechanical Engineering Cluster, School of Advanced Engineering (SOAE), UPES, successfully hosted a Distinguished Guest Lecture by Dr. Yongdeok Jo , Director of…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Advanced Engineering · 18–19 December 2025
ICAMEES 2.0 | Engineering the Future of Materials, Energy & Environmental Sustainability
The Department of Chemistry, Applied Science Cluster, under the School of Advanced Engineering, UPES Dehradun, is organizing the 2nd International Conference on…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 7.
School of Advanced Engineering
Energy Summit 2025 – A Convergence of Ideas, Innovation & Impact
A powerful convergence of policymakers, industry stalwarts, researchers, and young innovators marked the successful conclusion of #Energy #Summit 2025 – 4th Edition,…
This event also supports SDG 7 and SDG 9.
Featured in 3. Bringing sectors together on the SDGs: Energy Summit 2025
School of Advanced Engineering · 10–11 October 2025
ICICCD 2025: A Global Confluence of Innovation, Intelligence, and Sustainability at UPES
The International Conference on Intelligent Communication and Computational Design (ICICCD 2025), hosted by the School of Advanced Engineering, UPES, on 10–11 October…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Advanced Engineering
Advancing Global Academic Collaborations at UPES
UPES recently hosted a strategic interaction with delegates from Tulane University aimed at expanding international opportunities for students and faculty. The…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Business
Empower. Innovate. Sustain.
At UPES School of Business, we had the privilege of hosting an inspiring Masterclass with Prof. Cynthia Caron from Clark University, exploring the critical role of…
UPES Takes a Major Step Towards Global Academic Excellence in Maritime, Logistics, Aviation, Oil, Gas, and
UPES Takes a Major Step Towards Global Academic Excellence in Maritime, Logistics, Aviation, Oil, Gas, and Energy! On 20th March 2025, we hosted delegates from the…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 14.
School of Business
Where Education Meets Real-World Impact
At UPES School of Business, learning goes beyond textbooks and classrooms! Through our UK Global Immersion Program, students explored the heart of global business,…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 8.
School of Business
Hero Campus Challenge (HCC) Season 10
The Road to Excellence: Hero Moto Corp x Unstop launches HCC Season 10 at UPES. UPES hosted the official launch of the Hero Campus Challenge (HCC) Season 10 as a key…
This event also supports SDG 8.
School of Business · 26–27 September 2025
International Conference on Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation Pathways to Vikshit Bharat
Shaping India’s Innovation Future through IPR At UPES, our B-School creates a space where business thinking, innovation, and strategic policymaking intersect to chart…
This event also supports SDG 8 and SDG 9.
School of Business
Fuelling the Future: Reflections from FIPI Naftanomics 2025.
FIPI Naftanomics 2025 brought together industry leaders, young innovators, and energy enthusiasts - positioning the School of Business, UPES as a strong platform for…
This event also supports SDG 7 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
A recent visit of the delegates from the University of Malta at UPES has opened promising avenues to
A recent visit of the delegates from the University of Malta at UPES has opened promising avenues to explore how #AI and healthcare can converge to address global…
The AWS Community Day Dehradun 2025 is here — in collaboration with UPES-CSA Student Chapter, UPES School of Computer Science, powered by the AWS User Group Dehradun.…
This event also supports SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
At UPES, we believe in learning from global pioneers!
We were honored to host Prof. Reuven Yosef, Senior Professor & Distinguished Scientist at Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel), for an engaging guest talk on…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
Wrapping Up a Journey of Discovery | Summer School 2025
From exploring the elegance of dynamical systems to decoding the complexity behind real-world patterns — the Science Academies' Summer School on Dynamical Systems &…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
AWS Innovate Week 2025 at UPES | A Trailblazing Milestone for Future-Ready Talent
From May 26th to 30th, 2025, the School of Computer Science at UPES hosted a one-of-its-kind AWS Innovate Week, designed exclusively for 3rd-year students of the…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
Salesforce Day at UPES | SoCS
A big leap into the future of tech learning! At the School of Computer Science, we launched Uttarakhand’s First Salesforce Talent Hub, powered by Salesforce and…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
And that’s a wrap on the International Conference on Advancement in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics
And that’s a wrap on the International Conference on Advancement in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics (ICACSDF 2025)! Hosted by UPES School of Computer Science,…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
Research Talk on Machine Learning & Earthquake Engineering
UPES hosted Prof. Didier Clouteau, Distinguished Professor at Centrale Supélec, University Paris-Saclay, for a compelling session that blended advanced research with…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science
From Learners to Builders: Engineering the future with Agentic AI
Organized by the School of Computer Science, UPES, in collaboration with Google Developers Community, Google Cloud AI Lab’26 transformed campus into a live innovation…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Computer Science · 6–8 November 2025
Bridging Research and Innovation - ICMLDE 2025
The School of Computer Science, UPES, proudly presents the global thought leaders who will illuminate the stage at #ICMLDE 2025, Dehradun. Prepare to engage with…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Design
Celebrating a visionary leader on the global stage.
We proudly congratulate Prof. Pradyumna Vyas on his appointment as the President of the World Design Organization. From shaping the landscape of design education in…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 9.
School of Design
Global Voices, Local Impact !
When global leaders walk into our studios, they bring with them perspectives that reshape how our students see #Design. During his recent visit to UPES, Dr. Gjoko…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 11.
School of Health Sciences and Technology
WCHST 2026 | Advancing Global Health Through Science & Technology
The World Congress on Health Sciences and Technology (WCHST 2026), hosted by the School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES, invites abstract submissions from the…
This event also supports SDG 3 and SDG 9.
School of Health Sciences and Technology
Thought Leadership Through Global Academic Collaboration
UPES continues to expand its global academic footprint through faculty-led engagement at leading international universities. Such global assignments reflect the…
UPES School of Law & Jupitice Launch India’s First Just Tech Innovation Hub
UPES School of Law is proud to announce a pioneering collaboration with Jupitice Justice Technology Pvt. Ltd., the global leader in #Justice Tech and ODR solutions.…
This event also supports SDG 9 and SDG 16.
School of Law · 23 July 2025
Contemporary International Trade and Changing Global Legal Order
The Law and Social Sciences Cluster at UPES School of Law hosted the second event under its #International #Law and #Politics in Review series, bringing together…
This event also supports SDG 13 and SDG 16.
School of Law
In today’s rapidly evolving innovation landscape, collaboration between academia and industry is key to
In today’s rapidly evolving innovation landscape, collaboration between academia and industry is key to fostering a strong IPR framework. Through initiatives by the…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 16.
School of Law
With immense pride we are pleased to announce that UPES School of Law has today signed a strategic
With immense pride we are pleased to announce that UPES School of Law has today signed a strategic three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with SETU Aayog,…
"Celebrating World IP Day: Navigating the Future of Music, Technology, and Copyright in the Age of AI"
On 26th April 2025, the IPR Cell, UPES, in collaboration with the School of Law, UPES, hosted an insightful panel discussion on the theme “Exploring the Intersection…
This event also supports SDG 9 and SDG 16.
School of Law
We are privileged to welcome Prof. Peter Crisp, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Law, London, as our
We are privileged to welcome Prof. Peter Crisp, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Law, London, as our Esteemed Guest of Honour at the Inaugural Ceremony of…
This event also supports SDG 4 and SDG 16.
School of Law
Empowering Startups & MSMEs: Leveraging IPR for Innovation and Growth
The UPES School of Law, along with its #Intellectual #Property #Rights Cell (CIPR) & Runway, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce &…
This event also supports SDG 8 and SDG 9.
School of Law
International Conference on New Paradigms in Environmental Sustainability and Energy Laws
Organized by: Centre for Post Graduate Legal Studies, School of Law, UPES In collaboration with: Uttarakhand Forest Department & Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board,…
Interdisciplinary Learning in Action: Neuropsychology Meets Liberal Studies
The School of Liberal Studies & Humanities (SOLHS), UPES, recently hosted an enriching global classroom experience with Dr. Knut Hestad, renowned neuropsychologist…
This event also supports SDG 3 and SDG 4.
Featured in 4. International research, data and best practice: Visiting faculty
School of Liberal Studies and Media
Breaking Barriers, Building Voices | International Colloquium on Gender & Social Justice
The International Colloquium on Gender and Social Justice, hosted by School of Liberal Studies and Media, UPES, in collaboration with the University of Bologna,…
Psychology Research on Depression and Suicide Prevention
At UPES, psychology students aren’t just learning theories—they are actively shaping the future of mental health. Through groundbreaking research collaborations with…
This event also supports SDG 3 and SDG 9.
Our contribution to the UN SDG 17 targets
Goal 17 has nineteen targets agreed by the United Nations for 2030. Many are for national governments; UPES contributes to the targets on partnerships, knowledge sharing, capacity building, data and measurement.
Impact
UPES contributes to the partnership, technology, capacity-building and data targets of Goal 17, with its strongest impact on multi-stakeholder and civil society partnerships.
8UN targets under Goal 17 that UPES contributes to
4targets with sustained programmes and measurable results
Where we make the biggest difference
Targets where UPES runs sustained partnerships and programmes with measurable results.
17.16
UN target 17.16Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that share knowledge, expertise, technology and resources.
Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) as emerging pollutant in ground water: Environmental impact, potential risks, limitations and way forward towards sustainable managementhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.141568
Technological solutions for boosting hydrogen role in decarbonization strategies and net-zero goals of world shipping: Challenges and perspectiveshttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113790
