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Khon Kaen University

Bachelor of Engineering Program in Chemical Engineering

SDG Alignment for Bachelor of Engineering Program in Chemical Engineering

Overall SDG Alignment Evaluation:

The Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering program is fundamentally and holistically aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals by training professionals who design, manage, and innovate the processes that transform raw materials into the essential products of modern society. The curriculum's philosophy, emphasizing process efficiency, safety, environmental stewardship, and the principles of green engineering, makes it a powerful contributor to sustainability. The program is a cornerstone of SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), with its entire core dedicated to designing efficient chemical processes, ensuring safety, and minimizing waste. It is a direct driver of SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) through its focus on energy efficiency and alternative fuels. Furthermore, the curriculum's strong emphasis on pollution control and waste treatment directly addresses SDG 6 (Clean Water), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land). As a professional engineering program, it is a flagship of SDG 4 (Quality Education) and is built upon extensive industry partnerships, embodying the spirit of SDG 17.

SDG Related Course(s)

SDG 3 Icon SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Alignment Summary: The program supports good health and well-being through its focus on process safety and the production of pharmaceuticals. Chemical engineers are essential for designing safe industrial plants that protect worker and community health, and for scaling up the production of life-saving medicines.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH444451Process Safety ManagementDirectly supports good health by focusing on the prevention of chemical accidents and releases, substantially reducing deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals (Target 3.9).

SDG 4 Icon SDG 4: Quality Education

Alignment Summary: This professional engineering program provides a high-quality, specialized education that equips students with advanced technical and analytical skills. Through a rigorous curriculum combining theory, extensive laboratory work, and cooperative education, it ensures graduates are competent, skilled professionals capable of lifelong learning and innovation.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH440498Chemical Engineering ProjectEnhances education for sustainable development by enabling students to conduct a comprehensive design or research project, applying their knowledge to solve real-world industrial and environmental problems (Target 4.7).
EN014002Engineering Cooperative EducationProvides inclusive and equitable quality education through extensive, supervised professional work experience, ensuring students acquire the technical and vocational skills for employment (Target 4.4).

SDG 6 Icon SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

Alignment Summary: The program is central to ensuring clean water by providing the process engineering expertise required for water and wastewater treatment. Chemical engineers design and optimize the physical, chemical, and biological processes used to purify water and treat industrial and municipal wastewater.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH444431Water Treatment and Pollution ControlDirectly supports the goal of clean water and sanitation by focusing on the engineering and design of water purification and wastewater treatment systems (Target 6.3).
CH343311Transport PhenomenaProvides the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and mass transfer that are essential for designing efficient water treatment and distribution systems (Target 6.4).

SDG 7 Icon SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Alignment Summary: This curriculum is a key driver for affordable and clean energy. Chemical engineers are essential for developing and scaling up processes for biofuels, hydrogen, and other renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the core of the discipline is process optimization, which leads to significant improvements in energy efficiency in all industries.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH342211Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics IIs fundamental to improving energy efficiency by teaching the laws of energy conversion, enabling the design of more efficient industrial processes (Target 7.3).
CH444531Biofuel Production TechnologyDirectly contributes to increasing the share of renewable energy by focusing on the processes for producing fuels from biomass (Target 7.2).
CH440498Chemical Engineering ProjectEnhances access to clean energy research and technology by allowing students to conduct research on topics such as new catalysts for fuel cells or improved biofuel processes (Target 7.A).

SDG 8 Icon SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Alignment Summary: The program is a direct driver of economic growth by producing engineers who are vital to the manufacturing, energy, and materials industries. It promotes decent work by instilling the principles of process safety management, ensuring graduates are prepared to create safe and productive work environments.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH443102Chemical Process IndustriesContributes to higher levels of economic productivity through technological upgrading and innovation by providing an overview of key chemical manufacturing sectors (Target 8.2).
CH444451Process Safety ManagementContributes to decent work by focusing on protecting labor rights and promoting safe and secure working environments for all workers in the chemical industry (Target 8.8).

SDG 9 Icon SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Alignment Summary: This program is the embodiment of engineering for industry, innovation, and infrastructure. The entire curriculum is focused on the design, operation, control, and optimization of chemical processes and plants, which are the heart of the modern manufacturing industry and the source of countless innovations.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH342411Chemical Engineering Plant Design IIs fundamental to developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient industrial infrastructure by teaching the principles of designing chemical plants (Target 9.1).
CH443313Chemical Process ControlPromotes innovation and upgrades the technological capabilities of industrial sectors by teaching the principles of automation and process control, which is key to modern, efficient manufacturing (Target 9.4).
CH440498Chemical Engineering ProjectEnhances scientific research and innovation by training students to design new processes and technologies for the chemical industry (Target 9.5).
CH343312Chemical Reaction EngineeringSupports sustainable industrialization by providing the knowledge to design and optimize chemical reactors for efficient and safe production (Target 9.2).

SDG 11 Icon SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Alignment Summary: The program contributes to sustainable cities by providing the engineering expertise to manage industrial pollution. By designing systems to control air and water pollution from industrial facilities, chemical engineers help to reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities and make them healthier places to live.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH444431Water Treatment and Pollution ControlAims to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities by teaching methods to control water pollution from industrial and municipal sources (Target 11.6).

SDG 12 Icon SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Alignment Summary: This curriculum is fundamentally aligned with promoting responsible production patterns. Chemical engineering is the science of process efficiency; every course on process design, control, and separation processes is aimed at achieving the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources by minimizing waste of energy, water, and raw materials.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH343312Chemical Reaction EngineeringPromotes the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources by teaching how to design reactors that maximize the conversion of raw materials to desired products, minimizing waste (Target 12.2).
CH444511Green Chemical TechnologyDirectly supports the environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes by teaching the principles of green chemistry to design cleaner, safer, and more efficient processes (Target 12.4).
CH343314Separation ProcessesContributes to substantially reducing waste generation by teaching how to efficiently separate and purify products, which allows for the recycling of unreacted materials and solvents (Target 12.5).

SDG 13 Icon SDG 13: Climate Action

Alignment Summary: The program provides the essential engineering expertise to take action on climate change. By training engineers to improve energy efficiency in the chemical industry (a major energy consumer) and to develop processes for biofuels and other renewables, the curriculum directly contributes to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH444531Biofuel Production TechnologyContributes to climate change mitigation by promoting the use of renewable, carbon-neutral fuels, integrating climate change measures into national energy and industrial strategies (Target 13.2).
CH342211Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics IImproves education on climate change mitigation by teaching strategies to improve energy efficiency, a key strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Target 13.3).

SDG 14 Icon SDG 14: Life Below Water

Alignment Summary: The program contributes to the conservation of aquatic ecosystems through its focus on water pollution control. By designing systems to treat industrial wastewater, chemical engineers help to prevent land-based pollution from reaching and harming coastal and marine environments.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH444431Water Treatment and Pollution ControlHelps to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution from land-based activities by teaching how to manage and treat industrial wastewater before it is discharged into waterways (Target 14.1).

SDG 15 Icon SDG 15: Life On Land

Alignment Summary: The curriculum supports the protection of terrestrial ecosystems by providing the expertise to control industrial pollution. The management of air emissions and solid waste from chemical plants is essential for preventing land degradation and protecting biodiversity.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
CH444511Green Chemical TechnologyContributes to the conservation of terrestrial ecosystems by promoting industrial processes that reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous waste that could contaminate land (Target 15.1).

SDG 16 Icon SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Alignment Summary: The program contributes to building strong institutions by instilling a deep understanding of professional ethics and safety management. This is fundamental to creating an engineering profession and related industries that operate with accountability, transparency, and a commitment to public and environmental safety.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
EN010003Professional and Ethical PracticeContributes to developing effective, accountable and transparent institutions by grounding future engineers in the ethical principles that must govern their profession, helping to combat corruption (Target 16.5).

SDG 17 Icon SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Alignment Summary: The program fosters partnerships through its cooperative education model, which creates a vital bridge between the university and the chemical, energy, and manufacturing industries. This collaboration is essential for ensuring that engineering education is relevant and that graduates are prepared to contribute to a sustainable economy.

Course CodeCourse TitleAlignment Rationale
EN014002Engineering Cooperative EducationDirectly encourages and promotes effective public-private partnerships by immersing students in real-world industrial environments, building collaborative experience (Target 17.17).