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Smart Mobility Education and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development: A Review and Case Study

Author

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  • Alaa Khamis

    (AI for Smart Mobility Lab, IRC for Smart Mobility and Logistics, KFUPM, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Smart mobility has emerged as a transformative enabler for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering technological and systemic solutions to pressing urban challenges such as congestion, environmental degradation, accessibility, and economic inclusion. Realizing this potential, however, depends not only on technological maturity but also on robust education and capacity-building frameworks. This paper addresses two critical gaps: the absence of a systematic review of structured academic curricula, vocational training programs, and professional development pathways dedicated to smart mobility, and the lack of a formal approach to demonstrate how structured, research-oriented education can effectively bridge theory and practice. The review examines a wide spectrum of initiatives, including academic programs, industry training, challenge-based competitions, and community-driven platforms. The analysis shows significant progress in Europe and North America but also reveals important gaps, particularly the limited availability of structured initiatives in the Global South, the underrepresentation of accessibility and inclusivity, and the insufficient integration of governance, ethical AI, policy, and cybersecurity. A case study of the AI for Smart Mobility course, developed using a design science methodology, illustrates how research-oriented education can be operationalized in practice. Since 2020, the course has engaged hundreds of students and professionals, with project dissemination through the AI4SM Medium hub attracting more than 20,000 views and 11,000 reads worldwide. The findings highlight both the progress made and the persistent gaps in smart mobility education, underscoring the need for wider geographic reach, stronger emphasis on inclusivity and governance, and structured approaches that effectively link theory with practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Alaa Khamis, 2025. "Smart Mobility Education and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development: A Review and Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-27, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:17:p:7999-:d:1742804
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhao, Yu & Yingrui, Gou & Moru, Li & Zhifeng, Zhao & Pengjun, Zhao, 2025. "Mobility constraints of residents in marginal rural areas of megacities: Evidence from Beijing, China," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    2. Semeneh Hunachew Bayih & Surafel Luleseged Tilahun, 2025. "Dynamic vehicle parking pricing: a bilevel optimization approach," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-25, March.
    3. Max-Neef, Manfred A., 2005. "Foundations of transdisciplinarity," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 5-16, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Youpeng Lu & Jiming Wang, 2025. "Short-Term Passenger Flow Forecasting for Rail Transit Inte-Grating Multi-Scale Decomposition and Deep Attention Mechanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-21, October.

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