Awareness and Perceptions of the Sustainable Development Goals among University Students and Faculty in Azad Jammu and Kashmir: Evidence from Mirpur University of Science and Technology

Abstract

Universities are expected to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), yet little is known about how the goals are understood on campuses in peripheral and politically contested regions. This study surveyed 335 students and faculty members at Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan, on their awareness of the SDGs, where they first learned of them, and their views on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Four findings stand out. First, field of study is the strongest correlate of awareness: 60.4% of respondents in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities scored high, against 4.8% in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences. Second, 42.1% named the survey itself as the place they first encountered the SDGs, which indicates that self-rated awareness overstates familiarity. Third, awareness of SDG 16 is much lower than awareness of SDG 1, although most respondents regard peace as a concern in their community. Fourth, students are far more likely than faculty to see peace as solely the government's responsibility (31.2% vs 5.3%). The findings point to a discipline gap in SDG exposure within the university and to the need for knowledge-based rather than self-rated measurement.