Research Teaching And Actions In Higher Education On The Un Sustainable Development Goals

The UN is currently focused on monitoring and improving learning outcomes and people who are generally excluded from education. Indeed, in its Agenda 2030, higher education forms an important part of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to poverty, hunger, health, education and gender equality. This volume brings together contributions that provide research and teaching experiences, as well as reflections on actions taken in higher education institutes, associated with these SDGs.

This volume brings together both theoretical and case study based contributions to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Institutions of Higher Education (IHE), presenting an impactful combination of authors from both developing and developed countries. While most current publications addressing the SDGs and education focus on sustainable development in general and specific topics such as climate change or energy, this book attempts to accelerate the localisation of the SDGs by presenting opportunities and innovations offered in various universities and campuses regarding SDGs localisation. The book seeks to provide an important contribution to the global dialogue on IHE and the SDGs, and will be of interest to academics and researchers engaged in the SDGs and education, as well as government agencies and other interested stakeholders. The book focuses on curriculum and learning matters, research and development as well as community engagement. Case studies detail the integration of SDGs in academic and professional development, new approaches to implementing sustainability science instruction, improvements in teaching practices to enhance teacher competence, and responsible management education. Additional focus is placed on the alignment of the SDGs in higher education with the other goals, emphasizing technological innovation for improved human health and environmental management, and climate change policies and action plans. Interdisciplinary solutions for pressing environmental problems are also provided, making sure that no one is left behind in realising these global development goals.

This book explores the role universities have to play in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the heart of “sustainable development” is the legacy of unsustainable development with its roots in modernity and colonialism. Critical engagement with the SDGs involves recognising these roots are shared by universities and the reciprocal need for maintenance, repair and regeneration. Universities are not just enablers of change, but also important targets of change. By focusing on the role of education about, for and through the SDGs, the authors seek to advance critical engagement with higher education that is both progressive and meaningful. We are all responsible for bearing witness to our age. This book will appeal to all those who hope that more sustainable future worlds are still possible.

This volume explores various facets of the Sustainable Development Goals and how well universities have been able to integrate those goals into their curriculum, and institutionalize those goals into their strategic plans and institutional culture.

The book provides descriptions of experiences from research and educational sustainability projects and the role HEIs can play together with contributions presenting a variety of initiatives showing how SDGs are being implemented. The book promotes the theoretical and practical understanding on this thematic and disseminates knowledge and international research and cooperation. Contributions cover the role of SDGs in advancing implementation of sustainable development, sustainability in higher education, the role of universities in sustainable development, new paths towards sustainable development and e-learning contributions. Features Focuses on theoretical and practical understanding on Sustainability, Higher Education and SDGs to disseminate knowledge and promote research and cooperation Includes lessons learned from sustainability research and educational challenges presenting case studies, technological developments, outputs of research and studies, best practices and examples of successful projects Discusses relevant and international perspectives on sustainability, higher education and SGDs Presents local and international contributions on a variety of initiatives showing how SDGs are being implemented

In order to yield the expected benefits, sustainability initiatives need to be undertaken by means of a close cooperation between universities on the one hand, and societal partners on the others. The principle of co-creation and co-execution of sustainability initiatives increases the value for all by mutual learning, and the sharing of expertise and resources. But pursuing sustainability initiatives with a community and societal involvement is not simple. There is a perceived need for a better understanding of how universities can interact with society, in order to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This book is an attempt to address this need, by a novel approach which focuses on current potentials and challenges, across a wide range of fields and expertise. The book focuses on how the theory and practice of sustainable development interact and shows the need for a continuation of the dialogue among sustainability academics and practitioners, so as to address the issues, matters and problems at hand. The spectrum of themes addressed on this book also entails how environmental values and ethics are applied and the relationship between social, biological and cultural diversity. It also includes a broad disciplinary approach to sustainability, including education, research and case studies, and the links with human–environment relations in a sustainable development context.

This study provides institutions of higher learning around the world with new and inclusive guidelines that can be applied contextually to produce credible evidence regarding the outcome and impact of their teaching, research, societal-outreach, governance, and partnering activities with regard to sustainable development. The 2015 International Year of Evaluation is behind us and post-2015 Sustainable-Development Goals are coming into play. Donors, the public, international organizations, and higher-education participants need to know if universities are advancing sustainable development. Although university involvement in sustainable-development research, teaching, and outreach has increased substantially, systematic learning from higher-education engagements has been disappointing and the extent to which university initiatives have influenced sustainable development, particularly in the Global South, is widely contested. This book presents and demonstrates the utility of a flexible framework that will inspire substantial contextually based improvements in the ways universities evaluate and, therefore, activate and improve their sustainable-development undertakings. It provides a cutting-edge resource for students, scholars, university leaders, and policy drivers at all levels of governance who are concerned with contemporary higher education, sustainable development, climate change, and evaluation challenges.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a unique role and responsibility for the future and for driving the development of a sustainable society. HEIs are charged with the task of fostering sustainability in the leaders of tomorrow, developing solutions and methods for addressing a sustainable future and ensuring that knowledge is contributed to society. HEIs must also ensure that their everyday operations and practices are consistent with a sustainable future, and that they work toward holistically integrating sustainability into both the mission of a university and its daily tasks. This Special Issue builds on papers presented during the 2018 International Sustainable Campus Network Conference and also includes other contributions. The articles reflect the many aspects of sustainability in higher education institutions and illustrate innovation in approach, outcomes, and impact. The papers cover a range of perspectives on sustainability both on and around campuses. These include organization and management issues, networking and city partnership themes, and metrics and indicators related to sustainable development goals. The Special Issue also includes papers on education, student involvement, and gender issues. Select articles include results from surveys and desktop research; others depict approaches on experimentation, living labs, and action research.