Universities as Beacons of Change: Education for Sustainability lighting up pathways for a new world
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is lightening up new pathways for alternative futures. In higher education, it invites students, staff and community partners
Universities as Beacons of Change: Education for Sustainability lighting up pathways for a new world
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is lightening up new pathways for alternative futures. In higher education, it invites students, staff and community partners to reflect on, rethink and reframe their priorities and professional responsibilities. However, embedding its principles and associated pedagogies in the curriculum is proving to be a slow and challenging process.
The UNESCO Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have acknowledged that there is a need to improve support for university educators to re-orient teaching and learning for sustainable development. This is because educators play a critical role in changing learning dynamics and influence education practice. There is evidence that shows that there is a clear lack of ESD training and professional development opportunities to help university educators develop leadership capabilities associated with ESD and re-think their teaching and research practices (UE4SD, 2014).
The UE4SD project, funded by the European Commission, has identified and documented a series of leading practices on professional development in ESD in Europe that can enlighten universities interested in rethinking the purpose of education and becoming beacons of social change (see UE4SD, 2015).
This international Conference asks questions such as:
- Q1. How can universities become beaco