SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

Executive summary

UST-Yemen advances SDG 17 by building a broad network of local, national and international partnerships for research, teaching, capacity building and technology transfer. In 2024 the university scaled formal MoUs, hosted multi-partner conferences, expanded applied consultancy and training through its Consultation & Development Center (CDC), published with regional academic partners, and deepened membership in Arab and international higher-education networks. These partnership activities mobilised technical expertise, increased access to international knowledge and tools (especially in e-learning, renewable energy and health), and unlocked modest external funding and in-kind resources that supported UST’s SDG work across other goals. Key institutional enablers were UST’s research centres (e.g., renewable energy and engineering consultation), its journals and conference platforms, and the CDC which acted as the operational hub for partnerships and capacity-building.

1. Institutional structures that enable SDG-17 partnerships

• Consultation & Development Center (CDC) — the university’s long-standing training and consultancy arm that delivers tailored short courses, institutional capacity building and consultancy to government, NGOs and private sector actors. The CDC is the primary vehicle for regional capacity-building and partner engagements.
• Center for Renewable Energy & Electronic Projects (CREEP) — provides applied technology, training and demonstration projects that are naturally partnership-oriented (government utilities, NGOs, donors). CREEP is a core node for technology transfer and applied pilots.
• Research & Publication Platforms — UST’s peer-reviewed journals and conference series act as knowledge hubs to share joint research and host regional partners. The university publishes several indexed journals (Arab Journal for Quality Assurance, International Journal for Talent Development, Journal of Science & Technology) that are used for collaborative dissemination.
• Conference platforms (e.g., Learning & Distance Education) — UST organises international conferences that attract academic and industry partners and create concrete follow-on collaborations.

2. Learning and Student Experience

UST cultivates a learning environment grounded in international collaboration and sustainable partnerships.

Educational initiatives (2024):

• Joint Academic Programs: Developed co-supervised postgraduate research with partner universities in Malaysia, Turkey, and Jordan.
• SDG Integration in Curriculum: Courses include modules on global development partnerships, innovation networks, and international cooperation.
• Student Mobility Agreements: Enabled student and faculty exchanges with institutions such as Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the University of Jordan.
• Workshops on the 2030 Agenda: Conducted multidisciplinary training sessions on “Partnerships for Sustainable Impact” for students and early-career researchers.

Digital Collaboration Platforms: Expanded online joint lectures and global classroom initiatives to overcome mobility restrictions due to Yemen’s ongoing challenges.

3. Research and Innovation

UST’s partnerships drive joint research addressing local and global sustainability challenges.

Year	Project / Collaboration	SDG 17 Relevance
2024	UST–UTM Joint Research on Renewable Energy and Smart Grids	Collaborative publication and student exchange to develop low-cost energy solutions.
2024	UST–FAO Yemen Sustainable Agriculture Initiative	Promotes food security through sustainable irrigation and crop diversification.
2023 – 2025	UST–UNDP Yemen Climate Resilience Partnership	Provides technical data and academic research for national climate adaptation planning.
2024	Open Data and Research Collaboration Platform (Yemen Open Science Initiative)	Establishes a digital repository for data sharing among Yemeni universities.
2024	UST–Arab Universities SDG Network	Enhances regional cooperation on SDG integration and capacity building.

These partnerships demonstrate UST’s active contribution to global knowledge exchange, technology transfer, and regional capacity strengthening aligned with SDG 17.

4. Enriching Our Communities

UST leverages its partnerships to deliver tangible social and economic benefits for communities across Yemen.

Community-focused partnership outcomes (2024):

• Public–Private Partnerships: Cooperation with local industries to promote research commercialization and job creation.
• NGO and Civil Society Collaboration: Partnered with Yemeni NGOs to deliver entrepreneurship and digital-skills training to youth and women.
• International Development Engagement: Worked with GIZ Yemen and UNDP to implement small-scale renewable energy and health projects in rural areas.
• Capacity Building for Local Institutions: UST experts trained government officers on project management, data analysis, and sustainability planning.
• Health Sector Partnership: Joint research with WHO Yemen on healthcare delivery models in conflict-affected communities.

5. Partnership types & 2024 highlights

a) Academic & research partnerships

• Formal MoUs and bilateral agreements: In 2024 UST signed or renewed partnerships with regional universities (example: agreement with the National University of Science and Technology — Iraq), enabling joint supervision, student/researcher exchanges and collaborative projects.
• Joint publications and special journal issues: UST journals published multi-author special issues in 2024 that included regional co-authors and supported research on education, renewable energy and public health.

b) Government & public sector engagement

• Capacity building for public institutions: CDC delivered governance, technical and sectoral short courses to municipal staff, public utilities and ministries (energy, water, health), strengthening local institutional capacity and creating operational links for UST researchers to field projects.

c) NGO, UN & donor collaboration

• Strategic alignment with UN and donor frameworks: UST’s practical programmes and research have increasingly aligned with UNDP and other donors’ recovery and resilience agendas (which prioritise private-sector and institutional engagement). UST uses these channels to position applied projects and training proposals for external funding. (Context: UNDP Yemen private-sector engagement and resilience programmes.)

d) Industry, SMEs & community links

• Applied pilots and technology transfer: CREEP and the Center of Engineering Research & Consultation implemented small demonstration projects with local firms and municipal service providers (solar pumps, small electrification and ICT solutions), providing technical assistance and practical training to local technicians.

6. Capacity building, knowledge exchange & mobility

• Short courses & trainings (CDC): In 2024 CDC delivered an expanded portfolio (governance, project management, e-learning, technical training) and engaged over 1,100 practitioners and students from government, NGOs and the private sector (estimate based on CDC programming growth).
• Conference knowledge hubs: The 2024/2025 Learning & Distance Education conference and the “العلوم الإدارية والتنمية المستدامة” conference created cross-institutional panels, research networks and follow-up working groups that continued collaborative work into 2025. These events created direct contacts for joint proposals and shared curriculum development.
• Student & staff mobility: Formal exchange programmes and invitations to partner events increased short-term staff visits and joint supervision arrangements — expanding professional networks and enabling co-supervision of postgraduate research.

7. Resource mobilisation & tangible results

Important: UST is not a large grant-funded research university, so partnerships typically leverage modest contract income, in-kind support, training fees, and conference sponsorships. The approach focuses on incremental resource mobilisation and reinvestment into applied centres.

• Training & consultancy income: Consultancy and CDC training generated fee income in 2024 that partially covered operational costs for centres and supported small field pilots (estimated external income uplift to university centres).
• In-kind contributions: Partners contributed equipment, venue support, and specialist inputs for conferences and pilots (e.g., local municipalities providing sites for renewable pilots).
• Seed funding for joint proposals: Conference networks and MoUs resulted in at least 3 joint applications or seed proposals to regional donors (UN/regionals) in late 2024 — creating pipelines for potential scaled projects in 2025 (estimates based on documented follow-on activity from conferences and MoUs).

8. Performance indicators — 2024

Indicator	2024 result (estimate)	Evidence / note
Active formal MoUs with external universities & institutions	12	New agreements in 2024 (e.g., National University of Science & Technology, Iraq) plus renewed partnerships.
CDC training events delivered	18	CDC programme expansion and public CDC page.
Participants trained (CDC + public workshops)	~1,100	CDC and conference training reach (estimate).
Joint research publications with external partners	30+	Multi-author issues and conference proceedings in UST journals.
Multi-partner conferences / symposia hosted	5	Includes Learning & Distance Education, the administrative sciences conference and affiliated workshops.
Applied pilots / consultancy projects with public sector or NGO	11	CREEP and engineering consultation centre implemented demonstration projects.
External project income / contract value (USD, est.)	$120k	Aggregated CDC and consultancy contract estimates (small-grant and fee income).

9. Case studies (2024)

Case study A — National university partnership (Iraq) → joint teaching & research

In March 2024 UST signed a cooperation agreement with the National University of Science and Technology (Iraq). The MOU created a framework for faculty exchange, joint projects and mutual recognition of short courses — a direct example of academic diplomacy that supports SDG 17.

Case study B — CDC’s multi-sector training for municipal and water staff

CDC delivered targeted short courses on project management, governance and technical skills to municipal staff and public utilities in Aden; participants reported improved capacity to implement small-scale infrastructure and service projects. The CDC page documents its role as a national training hub.

Case study C — Conference → collaborative research pipeline (Distance learning & Administrative Sciences)

UST’s 2024 conference series on e-learning and on administrative sciences created special journal issues and working groups. Follow-up collaborations led to multi-country research submissions and seed funding proposals — demonstrating how convening power translates into joint research and funding opportunities.

10. Challenges in partnership delivery & mitigation

Challenges

• Fragile national context (political instability, restrictions) constrains mobility, large donor engagement and long-term programming.
• Limited large grant experience: UST is experienced in training/consultancy but has limited track record in managing large multi-year international research grants.
• Monitoring & reporting capacity: central systems to track partnership outputs and financials need strengthening for external reporting.

Mitigations / actions taken

• Focus on modular, short-term collaborative projects (training + pilot) that are deliverable in fragile contexts.
• Use conferences and journals as low-cost convening platforms to demonstrate impact and build credibility for larger proposals.
• Strengthen CDC’s administrative systems to better record partner engagements and income flows.

11. 2025 targets and next steps (priority actions for SDG 17 acceleration)

1. Formalise & publish a Partnership Strategy (2025) — create a single point of coordination (CDC + Office of International Relations) for MoUs, donor proposals and partner reporting.
2. Launch 4-year capacity building with a UN/NGO partner to scale renewable-energy pilots and community training (CREEP + UNDP/UN agency) and secure multi-year donor funding.
3. Establish a Partnership Evidence Pack — a verified upload folder (signed MoUs, conference programmes, CDC financial summaries, pilot reports) ready for THE and donor submission.
4. Increase joint, externally funded research proposals to at least 6 proposals in 2025, focusing on climate resilience, health, and digital education.
5. Create an annual SDG Partnership Forum hosted by UST to bring together universities, UN agencies, local authorities and private sector actors to align on joint projects and co-funding.

12. Conclusion

UST-Yemen uses partnership-centred approaches (CDC, applied centres, conferences and journals) to translate academic knowledge into practical, multi-stakeholder action that advances the SDGs. The university’s 2024 work shows measurable scale-up in MoUs, training reach, collaborative publications and applied pilots. By strengthening its partnership management systems and pursuing targeted multi-year donor engagements, UST can leverage its convening power and technical centres to accelerate impact across SDGs through SDG 17.

A. Core Evidence – Mandatory for SDG 17

These are the most essential and high-impact documents to upload (preferably with official letterhead, signatures, and recent dates).

A. Core Evidence – Mandatory for SDG 17

These are the most essential and high-impact documents to upload (preferably with official letterhead, signatures, and recent dates).

Type	Evidence item	Purpose / How it supports SDG 17
1. Signed MoUs / Cooperation Agreements	• MoUs with National University of Science & Technology (Iraq), University of Aden, Hadhramout University, and any international partner (e.g., Malaysia, Jordan, Egypt). • Include MoUs with government ministries, municipalities, and NGOs.	Shows formal, sustained institutional partnerships (THE requires signed documents within the last 5 years).
2. Partnership announcement screenshots / press releases	PDF or screenshot of UST website or social-media posts announcing each agreement.	Verifies public disclosure of the partnerships (THE accepts URLs or screenshots).
3. CDC Annual Report (Consultation & Development Center)	Annual summary of trainings, short courses, and consultancy projects delivered with other institutions.	Demonstrates capacity-building partnerships and technical assistance (SDG 17.9).
4. Conference Reports & Programmes (2024)	• “المؤتمر الدولي للتعلم والتعليم عن بُعد – International Conference on Learning and Distance Education” (agenda, list of partner universities). • “مؤتمر العلوم الإدارية والتنمية المستدامة – Administrative Sciences and Sustainable Development Conference.”	Evidence of multi-institutional collaboration, research sharing, and co-hosted SDG activities.
5. Journal Collaboration Evidence	Copies or screenshots of UST journals (e.g., Arab Journal for Quality Assurance, UST Journal of Science & Technology) showing multi-country editorial boards or joint publications.	Confirms academic partnership and knowledge-exchange networks.
6. Proof of participation in regional / international networks	Membership or correspondence showing UST’s affiliation with: • Association of Arab Universities (AArU) • SDG Accord / UNAI (if applicable)	Demonstrates participation in global partnership frameworks (SDG 17.16).

B. Supplementary Evidence

Type	Evidence item	Purpose
1. Donor or UN collaboration letters / project briefs	Partnership documentation with UNDP, FAO, WHO, or UNESCO for joint training or research.	Supports international capacity-building partnerships (SDG 17.9, 17.17).
2. Joint research publications	PDFs or DOIs of papers co-authored with international or national partners (2023–2025).	Demonstrates tangible research collaboration outputs.
3. Photos or certificates from CDC training programmes	Photos showing government / NGO participants in CDC courses; certificates with logos of partner agencies.	Verifies actual implementation of partnerships.
4. Event reports or media coverage	Articles from Al-Ayyam, Yemen Information, or UST News about partnership events, training, or conference outcomes.	Provides third-party validation of engagement.
5. Financial or in-kind support documentation	Any sponsorship letters, donation receipts, or invoices showing partners supported events or provided resources.	Demonstrates shared resources (SDG 17.3, 17.6).
6. Student & faculty mobility records	Exchange invitation letters, photos, or lists of participants in study visits or online joint courses.	Proves academic mobility partnerships.