This paper addresses the integration of sustainable development into a program building on earlier effort to integrate key competencies for sustainability to develop students sustainability mindset. The paper provides a high-level coverage of the endeavor looking at both “front end” and “back end” of the process – namely that of designing and delivery of a curriculum integrated with sustainable development; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of implementation via program evaluation. For curriculum design to integrate sustainable development, the paper build on the model that the author and his team developed and shared the 2025 International CDIO Conference, taking into consideration the potential use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) assisting the process. The outcome is a set of design principles that guides integration of sustainable development with special focus on areas where application of GenAI is encouraged, as well as other areas where faculty oversight (human-in-the-loop) is recommended. The paper then suggests an enhancement to the CDIO program evaluation when using it to ascertain the level of integration of sustainable development in a given program. It posits that as most programs are still rooted in the “education for sustainable development” paradigm or in the process of transitioning to the preferred “education as sustainable development” paradigm. This paper suggests the use of the current 12 core standards with specific focus on sustainable development guided by the requirements of the additional standard on sustainable development. This is because most programs are still implementing “education for sustainable development” and program owner can use the current approach to program evaluation. This paper suggests the use of guiding questioning targeting integration of sustainable development within the focus area of each core standard. The paper rounds off the program evaluation process with a checklist to aid faculty exercising oversight responsibility to ensure that the design guidelines on GenAI use is followed.
