scholarly journals An Integrative Approach to Sustainable Development Within a University: A Step-Change to Extend Progress on Multiple Fronts

Author(s):  
Chris Shiel ◽  
Neil Smith
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Mehling ◽  
Nina Kolleck

In the last years, a shift in the promotion of sustainable development in Higher Education from a focus on universities’ core areas of teaching and research to “whole institution approaches” with an emphasis on the operational management of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can be observed in different countries. With the aim to foster sustainability, HEIs have increasingly built cross-sectoral networks, involving not only academics but also practitioners in order to relate sustainability not only to research but also to outreach activities. Although there is an increasing body of literature evaluating such initiatives according to supposedly objective management criteria and indicators, there is still a lack of studies that investigate how the social meaning of knowledge production is (re-)negotiated in and through these partnerships. In this article, we analyze how individuals engaged in a cross-sector partnership make sense of the organizational dilemmas and ambiguities that stem from the complexity of working together across sectors in pursuit of an integrative approach to knowledge production. With the term “sector” we refer to the professional affiliations of the individuals involved in the partnerships, e.g., higher education, administration, formal education or non-governmental organizations. We focus on an illustrative cross-sectoral partnership: The Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (ISU), a collaborative project between Malmö University and Malmö’s city administration to facilitate research and planning collaborations between both organizations in respect to furthering sustainable urban (re-)development and higher education in Malmö, Sweden. By employing a constant comparative approach based on Grounded Theory to analyze data collected with focus groups, semi-structured qualitative interviews and document analysis, we claim that rather than entering a partnership with predefined identities, values and sectoral or professional preferences, individuals engage in a narrative struggle about the organizational character of their partnership. Accordingly, an important avenue for investigating cross-sector partnerships is to explore the constructive dilemma of different organizing principles in a cross-sector partnership, and the way people negotiate the boundaries between them. For the cross-sector partnership studied the constructive dilemma for those engaging in it was to separate and link project, organizational and network organizing principles in their work. Implementing whole institutions approaches in order to promote sustainable development in and through HEIs, would accordingly profit much from a deeper analytical investigation of the process of navigating professional identities and organizational narrative(s) in boundary-spanning, cross-sector partnerships.


Envigogika ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Nikolić ◽  
Jelena Ranitović ◽  
Slobodan Milutinović

Nowadays, Serbia is not at a satisfactory level of sustainability due to the well known events that occurred within the past two decades. According to the European Commission, environmental protection is an area in whichSerbiawill have to give its maximum effort to fully meet European standards and the requirements of sustainable development in the future. Poor water quality in some parts of the country, undeveloped systems for waste collection and recycling, illegal dumps, and industrial pollution are some  of the environmental problems affecting the Republic of Serbia. These findings encouraged the authors of the paper to focus on the environmental problems as a dimension of education for sustainable development in Serbian higher education.Regulatory frameworks of higher education and education for sustainable development in theRepublicofSerbiaare presented in the first part of the paper. The second part deals with observations on current staff development within professional education centres, where their abilities to work in the field of environmental protection are discussed. In the third part, an analysis of an autonomous and integrative approach to the environmental safety education is done, and the need and importance of greening higher education curriculum, as the new paradigm in the educational system, is emphasized.In this regard, an analysis of present ecological ideas and content in the syllabus of English language, which is one of the most common courses at Serbian faculties, and which is particularly important in response to the challenges of globalization, knowledge flow, international scientific research and mobility, is performed.Finally, as part of the authors’ concluding remarks, improvements related to the period before the reform of higher education and adoption of a national strategy for sustainable development, are presented. Also, their basic weaknesses and difficulties are described. New directions of the education for environmental protection in higher education, as well as the importance of training higher education lecturers in this area, are shown.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 2035
Author(s):  
Leire Agirreazkuenaga

In the field of education, the concept of environment and sustainable education, and the use of some terms in this field, have developed since their beginning. The United Nations Agenda 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) gives some clues about and opportunities to reflect upon which concepts and directions to take in the field of education towards promoting sustainability. This paper addresses the issue of the currently fragmented concepts in relation to environmental and sustainability education, and proposes a more comprehensive vision to better advance the path towards education and sustainability. This paper: (1) addresses the main historical milestones in the construction of the concept of environmental education and education for sustainable development; (2) analyzes the issue of which direction we should take within the framework of education in the era of the SDG Agenda 2030, taking emerging concepts such as learning for sustainability and sustainable education as references; and (3) proposes a holistic approach, described as education based on values. We conclude that a new integrative approach inspired by the education based on values concept, and integrating other concepts, will help to better conceptualize sustainability in education, as explained in the proposed model.


2020 ◽  
pp. 304-304
Author(s):  
Vesna Nikolic ◽  
Tamara Vukic

The purpose of this paper is to research the ways of integrating sustainable development into study programs of engineering faculties in an international context, as well as to analyze the current state of engineering education for sustainable development at the universities of the Republic of Serbia. Therefore, a desktop research, as well as an analysis of the engineering education curricula, have been conducted. The results of the research indicated to two possible approaches to the integration of SD into the engineering curricula - in the form of special subjects dedicated to the problems of sustainable development in the engineering, or as an integrative approach which implies that sustainable development becomes an integral part of the entire curriculum. Subjects dedicated to sustainable development have been identified at all universities, but not at all faculties where engineers are educated in the Republic of Serbia, they are present at all levels of study (undergraduate, master, doctoral), as well as within applied, integrated and specialist studies, and by status they are most often elective. The results confirm that the engineering curricula open up towards the questions of sustainable development both in international context, and in higher education of the Republic of Serbia and as such, they can serve to the relevant ministries of education and science, universities and engineering faculties as a recommendation in which way to plan and design higher education of engineers in the future in order to provide overall support in the integration of sustainability into the engineering.


Author(s):  
Sanja Franc ◽  
Vlatka Bilas

Objective – Sustainable development is a multidimensional concept and therefore requires a varied, nonetheless integrative approach to decision making, creation of policies and fundraising. The aim of this paper is to bring about the main sources of financing sustainable development, as well as to analyze the role of the European Union in supporting global sustainable development goals. Although the EU has welcomed the new global development agenda, and has an important role as a leading global donor of development aid, in order to meet miscellaneous expectations for development effectiveness, within the region and globally, it will need to further its efforts and make more concrete actions and changes towards the path of sustainability. Methodology/Technique - In investigating possible implication for financing sustainable development, authors refer to previous studies and EU reports. Findings - The findings presented implications that need to be done in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Foremost, it depends on successful development of national policies, their synergy and coherence. Public and private, domestic and international sources have an important role in financing development. While a certain level of government involvement is needed in terms of its strategic role and ensuring appropriate public funds, the existence of a healthy and stable economic and political system in the country is more important for attracting private investors. Novelty - The study provides clear implications to finance sustainable development and role of EU in this. Type of Paper- Review Keywords - Sustainable Development, European Union, Financing Funds.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-66
Author(s):  
Linnéa Henriksson

Sustainable development is considered to be one of the most important issues for the future, which is also mirrored in the growing interest in sustainable development in higher education. The change project reported in this article is an example of the efforts made to incorporate sustainability in higher education. The aim of the change project is twofold: the first one is to revise the syllabuses, reference literature, materials, and examinations for courses in Public Administration, so that every course in some way addresses sustainable development. By making sustainable development an integral part of all teaching, the change project highlights how different aspects of sustainability issues are relevant in different contexts. There are three reasons why sustainable development should be explicitly present in all teaching: education for sustainability is important to the university; sustainability is relevant especially for students in Public Administration; and to get all students engaged, education for sustainability requires a pedagogical framework. The second aim of the change project is to lay out the underlying pedagogical framework, which is based on principles found in pedagogical, psychological, and organizational theories. In this successive, integrative approach, the repeated occurrence of sustainability themes in many courses is considered to be a better option than having a single thematic course. In the first phase of the project, during the academic year 2019-2020, three courses were revised to include aspects of sustainability in relation to concepts central to the course.


1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R. Dovers ◽  
Tony W. Norton

Increasingly, resource and environmental management issues are considered within the emerging framework of sustainability (sustainable development, ecologically sustainable development, sustainable environmental management). While this notion has great potential as an integrative framework, current mainstream approaches and definitions tend to be vague, inoperative and do not translate well to the level of management in specific ecosystems. The current debate about "sustainable development" lacks structure, clarity, and an operational direction. In particular, it is difficult to translate the general concerns of sustainability in a manner useful to a task such as ecosystem management. This paper takes a long-term, systems view to construct an integrative approach to sustainability. This approach is more cognisant of ecological realities than the notion of sustainable development as presently construed. Extending the principles thus identified; a checklist of questions to guide considerations in ecosystem management at a more practical level is then constructed. Two examples from resource and environmental management in Australia ? fisheries and the conservation of terrestrial species (particularly the Koala . Phascolarctos cinereus) ? are analysed to support the discussion.


2021 ◽  
pp. 75-82
Author(s):  
Trofimcuk N.V.

The article is substantiated, that the concept of environmental culture of students is one of the most important priorities of modern training in colleges, which provides for a proper mastery of the system of scientific knowledge and practical skills, value landmarks and behavioral and activity imperatives that certify the responsible attitude towards the socio-natural environment. and the ability of harmonious interaction with it. The process of formation of ecological culture is organically inscribed in the context of training, education and personality development, which is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the concept of environmental education.The research is carried out on the principle of integrative approach. Its methodological basis is the generaloretical methods of scientific knowledge, the fundamental provisions of the ecological economy, the concept of sustainable development and environmental ethics.According to the purpose and objectives of the study, the following components of the ecological culture of students of economic and humanitarian and engineering colleges are distinguished: cognitive, axiological, humanistic and activity. It is revealed that the cognitive component detects human ability to strategic thinking. It contains environmental purposes and closely linked by the concept of strategic forecasting, which provides for cognitive mobilization of mental resources on the basis of comprehension of environmental risks and errors and prevention of environmental disasters.It is emphasized that the importance of an axiological component is determined by the fact that human ecology is now an urgent stage of modern humanism, represented by the system of ideological priorities and meanings, recognition of the value of man as integrity (microcosm), spirituality as a lever of transformation of human mass behavior with orientation to the implementation of sustainable development ideas and a co-evolutionary future. It is proved that the activity component characterizes the inclusion of a person in the sphere of interaction with nature, its ecological-oriented activity aimed at protecting and restoring natural resources in accordance with the level of knowledge and existing values.Summated that the distinguished components of the ecological culture of students of economic and humanitarian colleges provide for the transformation of the general forms of objective cultural reality into the individual richness of the student’s personality, and his creative potential - in the constructive actualization of general cultural achievements.Key words: ecological culture, cognitive component, axiological component, humanistic component, activity component. У статті обґрунтовано, що поняття екологічної культури студентів є одним з одним з найвагоміших пріоритетів сучасної професійної підготовки у коледжах, що передбачає належне оволодіння системою наукових знань та практичних навичок, ціннісних орієнтирів та поведінкових і діяльнісних імперативів, які засвідчують відповідальне ставлення до соціально-природного середовища та здатність гармонійної взаємодії з ним. Процес формування екологічної культури органічно вписаний у контекст навчання, виховання та розвитку особистості, що здійснюється відповідно до положень Концепції екологічної освіти.Дослідження здійснено назасадах інтегративного підходу. Його методологічною основою є загаль-нотеоретичні методи наукового пізнання, фундаментальні положення екологічної економіки, концепції сталого розвитку та екологічної етики.Відповідно до мети та завдань дослідження виокремлено наступні компоненти екологічної культуристудентів економіко-гуманітарних та інженерних коледжів: когнітивний, аксіологічний, гуманістичний та діяльнісний. Розкрито, що когнітивний компонент виявляє здатність людини до стратегічного мислення. Він містить екологічне цілепокладання і тісно пов’язане із ним поняття стратегічного прогно-зування, що передбачає когнітивну мобілізацію психічних ресурсів на основі осмислення екологічних ризиків і помилок та попередження екологічних катастроф.Підкреслено, що важливість аксіологічного компонента визначається тим, що екологія людини нині є актуальною стадією сучасного гуманізму, представленого системою світоглядних пріоритетів і смислів, визнанням цінності людини як цілісності (мікрокосму), духовності як важеля трансформації масової поведінки людей з орієнтацією на реалізацію ідей сталого розвитку і коеволюційного майбутнього. Доведено, що діяльнісний компонент характеризує включення особистості у сферу взаємодії з природою, її екологоорієнтовану діяльність, спрямовану на захист та відновлення природних ресурсів відповідно до рівня сформованих знань та наявних цінностей. Резюмовано, що виокремлені компоненти екологічної культуристудентів економіко-гуманітарних коледжів передбачають трансформацію загальних форм об’єктивної культурної реальності в індивідуальне багатство особистості студента, а його творчого потенціалу – у конструктивну актуалізацію загальнокультурних надбань.Ключові слова: екологічна культура, когнітивний компонент, аксіологічний компонент, гуманістичний компонент, діяльнісний компонент.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-324
Author(s):  
Eva Nave

Abstract The availability, propagation and excessive accumulation of arms are a serious impediment to countries’ achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Irresponsible arms trade leads to permanent insecurity, which forces people to leave their homes and impacts on the diversion of funds from inter alia health, education, social–economic stability and peace-building processes to defence and the military. Goal 16 of the SDGs sets out, noting its indicator 16.4, that the significant reduction of illicit arms flows is a way to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. This is a target to be met by 2030. The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), aiming at preventing and eradicating the unregulated arms flows by laying down criteria to be assessed before authorising arms transfers, is a crucial international legally binding instrument in that quest. This study advocates that, applying an integrative approach to the ATT, the potentially negative impact in the recipient country’s achievement of the SDGs is to be considered when pondering upon arms transfers.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document