Assessing the role of climate change courses in promoting climate change awareness among university students in Bangladesh

The ecosystem and the socioeconomic structures of emerging nations are seriously threatened by extreme climatic events. Bangladesh, in particular, is highly susceptible to climate change due to widespread public ignorance of the issue. Strengthening climate literacy through higher education is essential for building a sustainable future. This study provides the empirical assessment of the impact of climate-related courses on university students’ climate change awareness in Bangladesh. To avoid selectivity bias, the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique was used to assess the impact of climate-related courses on students’ climate awareness, policy perception, and participation in awareness-building activities. The results reveal that students who completed climate-related courses achieved significantly higher scores in climate awareness, policy perception, and awareness-building activity indices by 2.43, 12.46, and 1.67 points, respectively, compared to matched non-participants. Moreover, Binary Logistic Regression (BLR) results indicate that factors such as students’ age, permanent residence, and years of schooling significantly influence the perceptions of the role of climate-related courses in enhancing climate awareness. The findings highlight the critical role of formal climate education at the university level and support the integration of climate change courses across all disciplines. This study further underscores the need for public and private investment in climate change education for rural youth to strengthen their leadership capacity, improve access to climate information, and foster community-level engagement in climate resilience initiatives.