Khon Kaen University - SDG Alignment for Master of Economics in Behavioral and Applied Economics

SDG Alignment for Master of Economics Program in Behavioral and Applied Economics

Overall SDG Alignment Evaluation:

The Master of Economics Program in Behavioral and Applied Economics is holistically designed to produce graduates with the ability to analyze and solve diverse public policy and private sector problems. The program's core philosophy, which emphasizes the application of behavioral economics to real-world issues, makes it a powerful contributor across a wide range of Sustainable Development Goals. Its most profound alignment is with SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through its focus on evidence-based approaches to poverty alleviation, mirroring the work of Nobel laureates like Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. By training experts to design 'nudges' and choice architectures for health and environmental behaviors, the curriculum directly supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). As an international, graduate-level program, it is a flagship for SDG 4 (Quality Education) and inherently fosters the global collaborations essential for SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

SDG Related Course(s)

SDG 1: No Poverty

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Alignment Summary: The program contributes to poverty reduction by equipping graduates with the skills to analyze its root causes and formulate effective development policies. The curriculum explores experimental-based approaches to poverty, enabling the design of targeted and effective pro-poor policy frameworks.

Course Code	Course Title	Alignment Rationale
**EC 128 013	Behavioural Economics	Directly addresses poverty by analyzing the behavioral and psychological dimensions of poverty traps, aligning with UN Target 1.B, which focuses on creating pro-poor and gender-sensitive policy frameworks.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

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Alignment Summary: The curriculum supports good health and well-being by applying behavioral insights to health-related decisions. Graduates are trained to design interventions and choice architectures that 'nudge' people towards healthier behaviors, contributing to the prevention of non-communicable diseases and promoting overall well-being.

Course Code	Course Title	Alignment Rationale
**EC 128 014	Choice Architecture	Directly supports the promotion of health and well-being (Target 3.4) by teaching how to design environments and policies that encourage healthy choices without restricting freedom.

SDG 4: Quality Education

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Alignment Summary: As a master's program, this curriculum represents a high level of quality education. It is designed to cultivate expert analysts and researchers by providing advanced training in research methodologies and fostering the lifelong learning skills necessary to address complex socio-economic challenges, including educational inequality.

Course Code	Course Title	Alignment Rationale
**EC 127 891	Research Methodology and Seminar in Economics	Provides the core research skills that define high-quality graduate education, equipping students for high-level employment in research and policy analysis (Target 4.3 and 4.4).
**EC 128 899	Thesis	Represents a capstone lifelong learning opportunity (Target 4.3), where students conduct original research, thereby acquiring superior technical and professional skills for employment and innovation (Target 4.4).

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

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Alignment Summary: The program directly addresses inequality by training professionals to develop and implement equitable policies. The curriculum provides the tools to analyze how behavioral biases can perpetuate disparities and to design evidence-based interventions that promote social and economic inclusion for all.

Course Code	Course Title	Alignment Rationale
**EC 128 013	Behavioural Economics	Directly aligns with Target 10.4 by focusing on the adoption of policies that progressively achieve greater equality, informed by an understanding of the behavioral roots of inequality.

SDG 13: Climate Action

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Alignment Summary: The program contributes to climate action by applying behavioral science to environmental challenges. The curriculum equips graduates to design and evaluate interventions that promote pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing energy consumption and waste, thereby helping to mitigate climate change.

Course Code	Course Title	Alignment Rationale
*EC 128 022	Economics of Climate Change	Directly supports Target 13.3 by improving education and awareness-raising on climate change mitigation through the design of behaviorally-informed policies and interventions.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

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Alignment Summary: As an international program with a strong research focus, this curriculum inherently builds partnerships for sustainable development. Through seminars and research, students engage with the global academic and policy communities, promoting the knowledge-sharing and multi-stakeholder collaborations necessary to achieve the SDGs.

Course Code	Course Title	Alignment Rationale
**EC 127 891	Research Methodology and Seminar in Economics	Promotes the global partnership for sustainable development (Target 17.6) by requiring students to engage with and present on international research, fostering a culture of global knowledge-sharing.
**EC 128 899	Thesis	Represents a significant contribution to global partnerships (Target 17.16) by creating new, publishable knowledge that is shared internationally to solve critical socio-economic challenges.