International Collaboration on SDG Data and Research

During the 2024/2025 academic year, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) participated in international research collaborations involving the collection, sharing, analysis, and interpretation of data relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals.Through partnerships with international universities, healthcare institutions, and research collaborators, GUST faculty contribute to cross-border research that generates real-world datasets and evidence related to health, climate, sustainability, technology, and other SDG-related challenges. These collaborations demonstrate GUST’s participation in international efforts to gather and analyze data that can support evidence-based research, comparative analysis, and a better understanding of progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

GUST maintains a centralized institutional data repository through Microsoft OneDrive to support consistent data collection, documentation, access control, version tracking, and evidence management across university units. Datasets are organized with supporting information such as reporting period, source, responsible unit, indicator definition, and evidence, helping strengthen data findability, accessibility, consistency, and reusability. This approach supports FAIR-aligned data management practices and structured metadata documentation.

Initiatives	Relevant Parties
Data Collaborations	University of Sialkot, SDSN, Dar Al Shifaa Hospital, University of Liverpool, Northwestern University, University of Paris-Saclay, etc.
Established Collaborations	University of Leeds Business School, various partnerships
New Agreements	PAAET, Audencia Nantes Management School, University of California San Diego
Initiatives:	Data Collaborations
Relevant Parties:	University of Sialkot, SDSN, Dar Al Shifaa Hospital, University of Liverpool, Northwestern University, University of Paris-Saclay, etc.
Initiatives:	Established Collaborations
Relevant Parties:	University of Leeds Business School, various partnerships
Initiatives:	New Agreements
Relevant Parties:	PAAET, Audencia Nantes Management School, University of California San Diego

Data Collaborations

International SDG Data Gathering through the InvaCost Consortium

GUST contributes to international data gathering and research through faculty participation in the InvaCost Consortium, a global scientific collaboration dedicated to collecting, standardizing, analyzing, and disseminating data on the economic costs of biological invasions worldwide. GUST faculty member Dr. Danish Ahmed participated in two international InvaCost collaborative workshops that brought together researchers and experts from different countries and disciplines to work collectively with the InvaCost global database. Through these activities, participants contributed to the collection, review, standardization, and analysis of international data on invasive alien species and their associated economic and environmental impacts. Dr. Ahmed’s participation in the consortium and its collaborative data-analysis activities subsequently contributed to international co-authored research publications during Academic Year 2024/2025, demonstrating how GUST faculty engagement in international research networks translates shared global datasets into peer-reviewed scientific evidence. The InvaCost collaboration supports the international measurement and understanding of the impacts of biological invasions, providing evidence that can inform biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management, prioritization of interventions, and sustainable decision-making across countries. Through its participation in InvaCost, GUST contributes directly to international data gathering, measurement, comparative analysis, and knowledge generation relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals. Below are some of the publications that resulted from this collaboration in data:

Bradshaw CJA, Hulme PE, Hudgins EJ, …, Ahmed DA, et al (2024) Damage costs from invasive species exceed management expenditure in nations experiencing lower economic activity. Ecol Econ 220:108166. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108166
Soto I, Balzani P, Oficialdegui FJ, …, Ahmed DA, et al (2024) The wild cost of invasive feral animals worldwide. Sci Total Environ 169281. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169281
Hulme PE, Ahmed DA, Haubrock PJ, et al (2024) Widespread imprecision in estimates of the economic costs of invasive alien species worldwide. Sci Total Environ 909:167997. doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167997

International Healthcare Data Collaboration with the University of Sialkot, Pakistan

During the 2024/2025 academic year, GUST faculty member Dr. Taher Ali participated in an international research collaboration involving Gulf University for Science and Technology, the University of Sialkot in Pakistan, and a local hospital in Sialkot.As part of the research, healthcare-related data were gathered through the participating institutions and subsequently used for academic analysis. By combining GUST’s research expertise with data gathered through an international academic and healthcare partnership, the project demonstrates GUST’s participation in international collaboration on SDG-related data collection and analysis.

The collaboration enabled researchers across Kuwait and Pakistan to collect, share, analyze, and interpret real-world healthcare data relevant to SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being.

Some of the research papers that resulted from the data gathered in this collaboration that discuss SDG important topics on health:

Supporting Healthcare Data Collaboration

GUST also collaborates with Dar Al Shifa Hospital in Kuwait on research involving access to and analysis of healthcare-related datasets. These data support faculty research addressing health outcomes, healthcare practices, and other issues relevant to SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being.While this collaboration is national rather than international, it demonstrates GUST’s broader institutional capacity to conduct research using real-world SDG-related healthcare data and complements the University’s international data-gathering collaborations.

SDSN Kuwait Contribution to International SDG Data Gathering and Monitoring

As the host institution for SDSN Kuwait, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) participates in the international data and evidence activities of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).Through her role as SDSN Kuwait Network Manager, Dr. Fida Karam has participated in SDSN surveys gathering country-level information and expert input on the implementation and progress of the Sustainable Development Goals in Kuwait in Academic year 2024-2025 to produce the report for 2026. These survey contributions form part of SDSN’s wider international data-gathering and monitoring activities used to assess national SDG progress and implementation.

SDSN’s global data and monitoring work feeds into the Sustainable Development Report and SDG Index and Dashboards, which provide comparative assessments of progress toward the 17 SDGs across UN Member States. Through participation in these international survey and evidence-gathering processes, GUST contributes Kuwait-specific knowledge and data to a wider global effort to monitor SDG implementation and identify sustainability challenges and priorities.This collaboration demonstrates GUST’s direct participation in an international network gathering and interpreting SDG-related data and evidence, supporting SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals and the wider monitoring of progress across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Click here for the dashboard

Research Centers for Data Collaborations

GUST conducts a wide range of research activities with an international faculty, addressing real-world challenges and data collaborations. GUST has 4 research centers in the Research and Development Office targeting different research fields, scopes and data gathering in alignment of different SDGs.

Contact our Research and Development office

DIAR

The Center for Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Computational Research

Chair: Dr. Sultan Shoaib
Research Areas: Data Science, AI, Data Optimization, Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Simulation and Computational Modeling, Bioinformatics, Digital Health, Smart systems

EDGE

The Center for Entrepreneurship, Digital Growth and Future Economics

Chair: Dr. Omer Gibreel
Research Areas: Data Digitalization, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Startups, FinTech, Digital Economy, Industry collaboration, Technology Transfer

RISE

The Center for Regional, Innovative Society, and Education

Chair: Dr. Marina Jovic
Research Areas: Education, Social Studies, Human Development, Society Collaboration, Media and Technology, Gulf Studies

SEED

The Center for Sustainability, Environment and Economic Development

Chair: Dr. Muhammed Sutcu
Research Areas: SDG Coordination, Sustainability, Urban Development, Climate, Energy Transition, Water resources, Smart cities, Circular economy, Environmental systems

Established Collaborations

International collaboration on gathering & measuring SDG data

The collaboration map highlights GUST’s international academic partnerships that directly support SDG 17.2.3 by facilitating shared research, exchange of scientific data, and global collaboration on SDG-related measurement. Through MoUs with institutions such as the University of Paris-Saclay, University of Jena, UC San Diego, University of Liverpool, NTUT Taiwan, and German Jordanian University, GUST engages in joint research projects, co-authored studies, and scientific knowledge exchange across borders. Many of these agreements include explicit commitments to collaborative research facilities, joint conferences, and shared data resources, enabling GUST faculty and students to participate in global efforts to collect, analyze, and utilize data related to the Sustainable Development Goals. An example of one of the results that came out of these partnerships is shown below with University of Leeds:

International Research Exchange Using Climate Data

In 2025, GUST hosted Professor Effie Kesidou from the University of Leeds for a research seminar examining international evidence on firms’ climate mitigation and adaptation responses. The seminar presented findings derived from cross-country datasets and supported international knowledge exchange around the use of data to understand climate-related challenges.

This activity complements GUST’s direct international data-gathering collaborations by strengthening research exchange around SDG-related datasets and climate evidence.

Previous academic years

GUST and Northwestern Collaborate in New Scientific Breakthrough

In a scientific collaboration between Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) and Northwestern University, one of the top private research institutions in the US, research teams from both universities have reached a new scientific breakthrough in the fields of surface science and nanotechnology. This unprecedented breakthrough holds promise for numerous applications, including energy storage.

This partnership, which came through GUST’s Functional Materials Group Research Center, led by Vice President of Academic Affairs Prof. Bassam Alameddine, and Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology, directed by Prof. Omar Farha, resulted in the discovery of new materials for environmental remediation and separation of gases. Their research paper on the synthesis of new porous materials with serendipitous properties was published by the American Chemical Society and found international attention and recognition.

GUST’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Bassam Alameddine, who has made the building blocks in his research laboratory at GUST, said, “Not only are these new materials promising but they are also made from cost-effective reagents and abundant elements, such as, copper, zinc, iron, and carbon. The idea stemmed in February 2020 – right before the COVID-19 pandemic – during Prof. Omar’s visit to Kuwait, and despite the severe disruptions, curfew, and travel bans resulting from the pandemic, we were able to achieve these results.”

GUST’s Prof. Alameddine also expressed his ambitions in taking this research collaboration as a foundation for the establishment of a national initiative that would allow for further technological developments and increased knowledge transfer in the field of nanotechnology locally. This would be achieved through the creation of a research center in the state of Kuwait which would include several institutes and stakeholders that would place the country at the forefront of the international efforts in tackling modern environmental and sustainable energy challenges. This comes in line with Kuwait Vision 2035 'New Kuwait’, specifically in terms of promoting the concept of knowledge economy, which aims at creating a diversified and sustainable economy through scientific research that provides successful solutions to various problems and challenges.

New Agreements

GUST Signs an Agreement with PAAET to Organize Cybersecurity Forum

The Center of Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics (CAMB) at Gulf University for Science and Technology has signed a cooperation agreement with the College of Technological studies at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). The agreement aimed to organize a joint forum under the title, “Cybersecurity: Challenges and solutions”, during 15th and 16th February 2023.

The event will be patronized by the Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Hamad Al Adwani, and will be held at the main building of the PAAET campus in Shuwaikh.

The signing ceremony of the agreement was attended by GUST’s Acting President and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Bassam Alameddine, GUST’s Chair of CAMB, Dr. Israa Omran, Director General of PAAET, Dr. Hassan Al-Fajaam, and several officials from both institutions.

Professor Bassam Alameddine, said, “we are happy to sign this agreement with the PAAET to organize this important event which will shed the light on one of the most important issue in the world of technology”. Alameddine adding that this forum is a good opportunity to share and exchange knowledge between scholars and professionals in Cybersecurity field.

The forum will discuss how to strengthen the awareness of information security among people, and encourage those interested in this field to discover the latest technologies and skills used in Cybersecurity. It will also focus on exploring new Cyber-attacks that threaten organization’s systems, and will also show how to take advantage of resources and programs to provide protection in different workplace environments.

The forum will include a technology exhibition for sponsors and public and private sector participants to show the new trends that they use to protect their systems. As well as, the event will be coupled with a student competition aiming to demonstrate their projects and ideas that provide solutions to the Cybersecurity issues.

GUST Signs Cooperation Agreement with Audencia Nantes Management School in France

As a part of the visit of H.E. the Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to France to strengthen Franco-Kuwaiti projects, Dr. Salah Al-Sharhan, Vice President for Academic Affairs at GUST, signed a Cooperation Agreement with Audencia Nantes Management School (ANMS)*, represented by its Dean and Director General, Dr. Frank Vidal. Present at the signing were H.E. the Finance Minister of Kuwait, Mr. Anas Al-Saleh, and H.E. the Finance Minister of France, Mr. Michel Sapin, and the Kuwaiti Ambassador to France, H.E. Sami Al-Suleiman, and the French Ambassador to Kuwait, H.E. Christian Nakhlah.

The agreement forges close academic ties between the two institutions to enhance collaborative research, encourage faculty and student exchange, and to cooperate together in organizing courses and conferences between GUST and ANMS in the future.

GUST and UCSD sign MOU

Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Kuwait’s premier private university today announced an agreement with the University of California San Diego (UCSD) that will offer students a third university to choose from when electing to go on a summer scholarship, offer student exchange opportunities, and allow GUST professors to explore international research collaborations. The new agreement comes into effect immediately, with the first batch of GUST students expected to head to San Diego next summer.

The newly forged partnership comes to fruition after months of negotiation, and the decision to work closely together will prove to be mutually beneficial, as GUST moves closer to its goal of increasing its academic research output and footprint locally and internationally. Currently, UCSD is ranked as the 17th best university in the world by U.S. News and World Report, and the 5th best public university in the United States for research, global and regional reputation, international collaboration, number of highly-cited papers, and doctorate degrees awarded.

GUST’s Vice President of Academic Affairs, Professor Ali Ansari, said, “GUST’s international footprint is impressive for its age and stature. We were founded in 2002, and currently rank 49th in the Arab region according to, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), out of almost 1000 institutions. What’s more, we maintain a number of professional relationships with universities across the globe such as the National University of Singapore, Swansea University, ESC Rennes in France, and Sun Yat Sen University in Guangzhou, China. With this new agreement, our portfolio of collaboration not only grows, but we become better equipped to improve, offer curricula of a higher standard, and make GUST a more well-rounded place to study and work.”

This new agreement expands the choices available to GUST students to experience university life abroad. Each year, the university offers its students a limited number of competitive summer scholarships to enrich their academic experience through international study. GUST’s summer scholarships are open to all students from both the College of Arts & Sciences and the College of Business Administration that fulfill the eligibility requirements. The scholarships include tuition, a round trip economy class ticket to the United States, and a support allowance. Since 2006, a total of 105 students were granted a Summer Scholarship to attend the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and George Washington University, and previously Florida International University, and University of Dubai.

Further to this, GUST provides a limited number of faculty fellowships for research and development during the summer. They are available to all GUST faculty on an equal opportunity basis. Since 2006, a total of 63 faculty members were granted fellowships to conduct collaborative research projects with their peer researchers; 45 to the University of Missouri - St. Louis, 11 to Florida International University, two to the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and one to each of Cambridge University, Oxford University, Derby University, London School of Economics, and the University of Queensland.

SDGs