Introduction
Lea Simek
BINUS University, part of the Bina Nusantara Foundation in Indonesia, has been contributing to national development and the global community for over 40 years. The university achieves this through impactful research, quality teaching, and the cultivation of global mindsets. It actively engages with local and international stakeholders to deliver meaningful service programs. As a leader in education, BINUS University continually benchmarks innovative practices, aligning student learning with the latest labor market trends and fostering socially conscious graduates.
As part of these efforts, BINUS University actively tracks its performance in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and Universitas Indonesia GreenMetric. Most recently, BINUS ranked 37th in Indonesia on the UI GreenMetric 2024 and made a significant leap in the global THE Impact Rankings, moving from the 800–1000 range in 2023 to the 401–600 range in 2024. These accomplishments highlight the university’s dedication to advancing global SDG efforts, further reflected in its ongoing development of a center focused on global governance and sustainability. Moreover, the university consistently participates in research, teaching, learning, and community development initiatives aligned with the UN SDGs.
For this reason, we are proud to have been invited to participate in Montgomery College’s UN SDGs Open Pedagogy Fellowship alongside Universitas Muhammadiya Sumatera Utara (UMSU) during the program’s first expansion to Asia in 2023. Recognized with the Open Pedagogy Award for Excellence in 2020, this program integrates the principles of the UN SDGs, interdisciplinarity, open pedagogy, and renewable assignments. It aims to empower instructors to share knowledge and resources, fostering the creation of assignments that inspire students to embrace both local and global citizenship.
Such innovative approaches are essential for broadening students’ perspectives on how their disciplines intersect with broader social issues, encouraging them to embrace values of social and environmental stewardship. Under the leadership of Michael Mills, EdD, Associate Senior Vice President of Equitable Access and Student Success, and Shinta Hernandez, PhD, Dean of MC Online and Academic Support, several impactful projects have emerged from the collaboration between BINUS and UMSU teams. Examples of initiatives include instructors from chemistry and public health courses exploring the intersections of climate change and health, as well as students from business and literature backgrounds creating a collection of analytical pieces examining gender relations in the Indonesian workplace.
Recognizing the transformative impact of these projects on students’ global mindsets, BINUS University has taken the initiative to support Montgomery College’s Fellowship program by hosting the first UN SDGs Open Pedagogy Summit – Asia Chapter Jakarta. This event, spearheaded by BINUS Strategic Collaboration Manager Ms. Theodora Subyantoro, was organized with support from Passage To ASEAN and the Nationwide University Network Indonesia. Over sixty participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines convened for a two-day intensive training session, resulting in the development of more than thirty interdisciplinary renewable assignments. These assignments, licensed under Creative Commons, are now accessible to educators worldwide.
This digital collection of assignments reflects the passion of educators committed to creating social and environmental impact, supported by the growing community of practice fostered by Montgomery College and the UN SDGs Open Pedagogy Fellowship. We are deeply grateful to the teams whose initial piloting of these assignments has positively influenced thousands of students, fostering deeper critical thinking and meaningful engagement with their surrounding communities.
Lea Šimek
Deputy Head of Global Class – International Business Management
