LocationsPerspectives on Sustainable Development
[Pilot] SDG Clinic
November 21, 2025
Piloting new ways to bring Agenda 2030 closer to young people
This year we set out with a simple but ambitions mission: to make the ideas behind Agenda 2030 feel real, relevant, and reachable for students and young people in North Macedonia. At times, the Sustainable Development Goals are seen as distant, abstract, or reserved for global institutions. We wanted to help change that. Our aim was to demystify the Goals and show how deeply they are connected to our well-being, daily choices, and the futures we are collectively shaping. They are not just global commitments they are blueprints for better communities, healthier cities, and fairer societies right here at home.
With this in mind, we designed a process that has now culminated in the very first [Pilot] SDG Clinic for students and young people. The Clinic, a collaborative effort between UNDP North Macedonia, the Iustinianus Primus Law Faculty in Skopje, and Alkaloid AD Skopje, aims to bring sustainable development closer to youth, helping them understand both the ideas and the real-world implementation of the SDGs, while also introducing related concepts such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.
From the beginning, we believed the strongest approach would be a joint one: bringing together academia, the private sector, and development practitioners. This model gives students something rare: a chance to explore sustainable development through practical insights, lived experience, and cutting-edge knowledge from three different worlds that shape society.
Logo, SDG Clinic
Logo created by UNV Ms. Gemma Martinuzzi
Our partnership for the SDG Clinic reflect exactly the kind of collaboration needed to advance the Goals. Reviving the connection between academia, the private sector, and institutions and powering it with the enthusiasm and vision of young people creates the conditions for real progress. It took time to build these partnerships, but we are proud to stand alongside the Faculty of Law and one of North Macedonia’s leading companies to support young minds who will help drive the SDGs forward.
SDG Clinic, Poster
Poster created by UNV Ms. Gemma Martinuzzi
From Pilot to Programme
This Clinic is, for now, a pilot. Our hope is that this year’s iteration will demonstrate its potential and help us work together as partners and as a team to build it into a sustainable, long-term programme. The focus this year is twofold: bringing the SDGs and ESGs closer to young people and offering thematic sessions that explore the links between sustainable development, the environment, and climate action.
In this first round, the Clinic will welcome 30 students and feature more than 15 keynote speakers and lecturers from across sectors. Beyond the sessions, students will also have the chance to engage with a real-life development case study, applying the ideas, tools, and insights gained throughout the programme. It’s an opportunity not only to learn about sustainable development, but to practice it: testing approaches, debating solutions, and seeing how global goals translate into concrete action on the ground.
The [Pilot] SDG Clinic is the product of curiosity, collaboration, and a shared belief that young people deserve meaningful opportunities to engage with sustainable development. The evolution of the Clinic from an idea that a group of enthusiasts presented at a UNDP event back in 2024 [more information available here], into a hands-on learning space that bridges sectors, disciplines, and generations.
If this pilot shows what we believe it will, it may be just the beginning of a long-term programme that equips students with the knowledge, perspectives, and confidence to shape a more sustainable future for North Macedonia. Interested in our pilot? Do you have ideas on how to improve this for 2026, reach out to us, and we are happy to discuss further.
We would like to us this opportunity and thank: Professor Julija Brsakoska – Bazerkoska and Ljupcho Stojkovski from the Iustinianus Primus Law Faculty in Skopje; Mr. Dimitar Ristovski and Danilo Jovanovic from AD Alkaloid for their dedication, collaboration and partnership in this process. We would also like to thank the UNV with whom we developed the visual assets for the clinic: Gemma Martinuzzi, and a dedicated UNDP team that made this possible.