Nations, cities, and communities all over the world have committed to work towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The SDGs, set by the United Nations General Assembly, aim at securing a sustainable future for all. They address several global challenges, including those related to poverty, good health, clean water, sustainable cities and communities, quality education, gender equality, climate and environmental degradation, and peace and justice.

SDG 17 emphasizes the need for collaboration among different facets of society for sustainable development. To deliberate on this in the context of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, specifically in relation to collaboration between Norway and Nepal, a high-level symposium will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 17 May 2019. The symposium is being organized by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) – an initiative under the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Experts from ICIMOD will participate in this event and deliberate on issues relevant to the HKH region.

Institutions in Nepal and Norway have for long closely collaborated on directly addressing several of the SDGs. This symposium will explore how strengthened collaboration between Norway and Nepal, NTNU and Nepalese partner universities, and the public and private sectors can form a sustainable development agenda and further contribute to the SDGs in general, specifically in the areas of social sustainability and hydropower.

A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society, and it requires that the knowledge sector, in close collaboration with partners in public and private sector, develop knowledge and competencies that can contribute to sustainable development. HUC is mandated to develop an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH region in collaboration with academic, research and knowledge-generating, and exchange institutions both within and outside the region.