scholarly journals The Whole-Institution Approach at the University of Tübingen: Sustainable Development Set in Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerstin Schopp ◽  
Matthias Bornemann ◽  
Thomas Potthast
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
The University ◽  
Competence Centre ◽  
Brundtland Report

In the following paper, we scrutinize understandings and values behind Sustainable Development (SD) in a case study of the University of Tübingen, Germany. In so doing, we adopt the perspective of the whole-institution approach of SD. We do not only analyze documents, but combine our investigations with empirical research on key actors’ understandings and values of SD, as well as the competencies and the knowledge to set SD in practice. First, we demonstrate that actors’ understandings and the values behind them at the University of Tübingen are in accord with the United Nations’ understanding of SD (‘Brundtland Report’). Second, we show that at the University of Tübingen, many actors already work in line with the whole-institution approach; this shall be further fostered and strengthened by the Competence Centre for SD. Finally, we demonstrate that both knowledge and competencies are fundamental to act for SD. It is suggested that the University of Tübingen should explicitly adopt the general understanding of SD in the above-mentioned sense, and develop a sustainability strategy, not least in order to support the actors to acquire specific knowledge to reach SD for the whole university. Finally, we discuss the potential and limits of transferring the findings to other Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and the challenges of necessary global perspectives.

scholarly journals A Holistic Approach to Integrate and Evaluate Sustainable Development in Higher Education. The Case Study of the University of the Basque Country

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 392
Author(s):  
Estibaliz Sáez de Cámara ◽  
Idoia Fernández ◽  
Nekane Castillo-Eguskitza
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Institutional Setting ◽  
Practical Case ◽  
Development Indicators ◽  
Agenda 2030 ◽  
The University

Since the United Nations (UN) approved the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in 2015, higher education institutions have increasingly demonstrated their commitment by supporting several initiatives. Although a great deal of progress has been made, there is still a lack of integrative approaches to truly implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education. This paper presents a practical case that illustrates how to design and articulate SDGs within an institutional setting adopting a holistic approach: EHUagenda 2030 plan of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). It is based on empirical inquiry into global and holistic sustainable transformation and a real experience to move towards a verifiable and pragmatic contribution to sustainability. This plan describes the contribution to 12 of the 17 SDGs, along with three sectorial plans (Equality Campus, Inclusion Campus and Planet Campus), as well as the refocus of the UPV/EHU’s Educational Model and the panel of sustainable development indicators, which addresses the technical aspects of monitoring the SDGs. The methodology (mapping; mainstreaming; diagnosis and definition and, finally, estimation) is systematic and replicable in other universities yet to embark upon this integration. This case study makes a contribution towards the understanding of the complexity of the changes in Higher Education and the ways to approach it.

scholarly journals Green curriculum: Sustainable learning in higher education

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Willa Petronella Louw
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Study Material ◽  
Open And Distance Learning

<p>The United Nations (UN) constituted 2005–2014 as the decade for educational sustainable development when bridges have to be built between academic institutions and their communities. In this article I will therefore do a literature search from 2005–2011 on what it means to be a sustainable university with a sustainable curriculum by looking at case studies from other higher education institutions in order to begin to give guidelines for such an endeavour in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution. Thereafter I will focus on recommendations on how to transform present study material into a green curriculum by using a qualification in Human Settlements as a case study.</p>

scholarly journals The Future We Want: A Learning Experience to Promote SDGs in Higher Education from the United Nations and University of Valencia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8550
Author(s):  
Victoria Vázquez-Verdera ◽  
Juan Domingo ◽  
Esther Dura ◽  
Daniel Gabaldón-Estevan ◽  
Ernesto López-Baeza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Social Progress ◽  
Geospatial Information ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Future ◽  
The United Nations ◽  
The University

This article shares the strategy for mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the University of Valencia (UV), which, although limited in its scale, may compel other Higher Education Institutions to think in technological and social progress aligned with the 2030 Agenda. It explicates a process driven by the UV, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN), and in collaboration with the Service for Geospatial, Information, and Telecommunications Technologies from the UN Support Base in Valencia (Spain) to prepare the online event: “The United Nations We Want”. It was the culmination of a collaborative project between students and faculties from different scientific, technological, social, legal, humanistic, and health disciplines that structure the University of Valencia. The intention was that new generations experience the role they can have to shape the future we want, while the university community as a whole can become part of transformative institutional change that draws on both top-down and bottom-up strategies in pursuit of Education for Sustainable Development.

scholarly journals From Policy to Pedagogy: The Implications of Sustainability Policy for Sustainability Pedagogy in Higher Education

1969 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Timmerman ◽  
Amy Scott Metcalfe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Policy Process ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
University Of British Columbia ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
Sustainability Policy ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

In response to the growing number of sustainability policies being enacted at higher education institutions, this article examines the relationship between policy and pedagogy, asking how policy texts can both enable and impede the implementation of sustainability pedagogy in higher education. To explore this question, we have undertaken a case study at the University of British Columbia, analyzing two campus-wide visionary policies that call for sustainability education: Trek 2010: A Global Journey and Inspirations and Aspirations: The Sustainability Strategy. We analyze these documents to show how the goals and strategies within them have the potential to affect the teaching and learning of sustainability across the university, directly and indirectly. Our analysis is coupled with a series of suggestions on how the policy process might be better executed in the future for more pedagogically effective sustainability policy.  

scholarly journals Universities for sustainability – new challenges from the perspective of the University of Warsaw

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kalinowska ◽  
Anna Batorczak
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
The Status ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The University

AbstractThe documents adopted by the international community during the UN Conference on the Environment and Development convened in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 make clear the leading role institutions in higher education are to play in transforming contemporary civilisation in the direction of sustainable development. It is beyond dispute that higher education has a critical role to play in developing tomorrow’s decision makers, professionals and citizens. Universities can help with the accomplishment of sustainable development goals if they transform education in this direction, extend their support to interdisciplinary scientific research and ensure the appropriate evolution of the means by which they themselves are managed. However, ensuring that a higher education establishment heads in the direction of sustainability in all academic areas of activity is a difficult process requiring much effort. The article thus presents current international initiatives of the UN in this regard, as well as Higher Education initiatives, alliances and treaties in support of the process, and the objectives and activities of the network of cooperative links between universities that is now taking shape. Also the status of education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education and existing ESD professional development opportunities for university educators is discussed. In this context, examples of good practice characterising the activity of the University Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development will serve as a case study.

scholarly journals Higher education and Sustainable Development Goals during COVID-19: coping strategies of a university in Wuhan, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (s1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suyu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Micro Level ◽  
The University

Background It is widely perceived that COVID-19 has significant influence on higher education and also contribution to development including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However there is insufficient evidence about investigations on such influences, especially at micro level. Design and method A university located in Wuhan, China, was selected for the case study to explore how COVID-19 affects higher education and how universities’ coping strategies of COVID-19 can contribute to SDGs. The method is an analysis of 32 institutional documents published by the university. Results The university in the case study has taken a number of coping strategies of COVID-19, largely in four aspects including medical services, online education, logistic support, and graduate employment promotion. These coping strategies contribute to achieving SDGs, especially SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10. Conclusions The case study provides micro-level empirical evidence, which supports that appropriate university coping strategies of COVID-19 can contribute to SDGs, even it is widely perceived that the pandemic has brought strong negative impact on higher education and sustainable development. The selection of a university in Wuhan, China can generate more practical implications, as Wuhan is the first city that experienced the unprecedented lockdown, and China is the first country which reopened university campuses after the lockdown.

Community-Based Sustainability: Conservation in the Ballarat Region

2006 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-43
Author(s):  
Barry Kentish ◽  
Ian Robottom
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Sustainability Strategy ◽  
The United Nations

AbstractThe discourse of sustainability is promoted internationally, with the United Nations declaring 2005-2014 as a Decade for Education for Sustainable Development. There is discussion concerning the nature, status and significance of Education for Sustainability and its relationship with the somewhat established discourse of environmental education. This debate requires continuing theorising and one approach is to reflect critically on specific examples of sustainability within specific communities. This article seeks to promote further discussion about sustainability, and to contribute to ongoing theorisation about Education for Sustainability, by considering a particular instance – that of environmental sustainability in the Ballarat region of Victoria. The case study suggests that implementation of this local environmental sustainability strategy was dominated by technocratic and individualistic ideologies.

SDG 4 in higher education: challenges and opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 959-975
Author(s):  
Therese Ferguson ◽  
Carmel Geneva Roofe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
School Of Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Illustrative Case Study ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this case study is to focus on the role of higher education in the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, discussing both challenges and opportunities. Drawing on the example of The University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Education (SOE) (Mona Campus in Jamaica), this paper illustrates how higher education can move SDG 4 forward in a realistic and significant way. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the literature and case study experiences implementing education for sustainable development-related activities within a SOE, opportunities and challenges regarding SDG 4 and higher education institutions (HEIs) are identified and outlined. The SOE at the UWI campus is used as an illustrative case study to highlight the ways in which HEIs can drive SDG 4 through teaching, programme and course development, research and outreach activities. Findings Based on the literature examined, along with the case study, the paper argues that HEIs must help to shape and lead the SDG 4 agenda by being integrally involved and no longer watching from the side lines. A framework to aid HEIs in achieving outcomes associated with SDG 4 is then proffered. The intent is that this will not only help shape discourse but also shape actions, as the demand for higher education increases across the globe. Originality/value This paper uses a Caribbean regional HEI as the basis for the framework proposed to aid HEIs in achieving SDG 4 outcomes. This brings to the fore discourse from the global south, as space that is often missing from the discussion.

scholarly journals Increasing University Competitiveness through Assessment of Green Content in Curriculum and Eco-Labeling in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 712
Author(s):  
Andrea Okanović ◽  
Jelena Ješić ◽  
Vladimir Đaković ◽  
Simonida Vukadinović ◽  
Andrea Andrejević Panić
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Green Jobs ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Novi Sad ◽  
The University

Growing environmental problems and increasing requirements of green jobs force universities around the world not only to transform their curricula but also to enrich existing ones with contents related to the promotion of sustainable development. This paper aims to show the importance of measuring and monitoring the share of green contents in all university activities, as only in that way it is possible to monitor trends and give realistic assessments of their effect and importance. The paper presents a comparative analysis of different types of methodologies for assessing sustainable activities at universities as well as research conducted at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia and its comparison with the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). This research aims to point out the importance of increasing competitiveness in higher education through assessment of green content in a curriculum and its promotion. In this way, through eco-labeling methodology, it would be easier to identify those contents that, in a certain share, contribute to the promotion of sustainable development. Furthermore, this methodology can easily be extended across the country and the region, which would bring positive effects to all stakeholders in higher education.

Framing the role of higher education in sustainable development: a case study analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna Elmassah ◽  
Marwa Biltagy ◽  
Doaa Gamal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) should play a fundamental role in achieving the international 2030 sustainable development (SD) agenda. Quality education is the fourth of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and one of the targets related to this is to ensure that by 2030 all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote SD. Therefore, the SDGs provide a motive for HEIs to integrate SD concepts into their day-to-day practices. This study aims to introduce a framework for HEIs’ sustainable development assessment. Such a framework guides HEIs and educational leaders to support their countries’ commitments to achieving the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a case study analysis of the role and successful techniques of HEIs in achieving SD in three countries, namely, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Primary data was collected by semi-structured interviews with three Cairo University officials, while secondary data was collected by reviewing the universities' official websites, reports, publications and related papers. This study introduces a novel framework for HEIs' SD analysis and assessment, which guides HEIs and educational leaders to support SD to fulfill their countries' commitments to achieving the SDGs. This framework is based on the following five categories: strategic direction and institutional working practices, supporting students, supporting university staff competencies, supporting society's stakeholders and networking and sustainable campus. Consideration is given to the potential role of HEIs to support SD in each of these areas. Findings Cairo University could learn from the novel and pioneer practices of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and the University of Tokyo to fill in the gaps it has in different roles. It can also put more effort into adopting the suggested higher education programs of Egypt's Vision 2030. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to a case analysis comparing three countries, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Second, this study has not considered school education, which is equally essential in countries' SD. Practical implications HEIs can use the framework and the findings in this paper to evaluate their current roles in supporting SD, identify the gaps and take actions accordingly to address their weaknesses. Originality/value The paper compares three universities, one in each of the case study countries. It draws conclusions that identify ways in which the paper's framework and findings can guide SD practice in HEIs internationally, especially those in the developing world.

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