Education about and for sustainable development

The goal of sustainability in education is linked to Objective 4 in Agenda 2030 which deals with ensuring that all students receive the knowledge and skills that they need to promote sustainable development: ‘Good Education, is a basic human right’. Research shows that inclusive education of good quality for all is one of the most important cornerstones for wellbeing, good health and equality in every society.  The Higher Education Act also identifies the mandate that institutions of higher learning have to take responsibility for taking  promoting and keeping sustainability in mind (ecological, social, and economic sustainability). ‘Institutions of higher learning are to promote sustainable development, which means that current and future generations are ensured a good, healthy environment, economic and social welfare, and justice’. The fact that the university’s programmes and courses are linked to sustainability is becoming an ever more important factor in attracting students who want to study precisely here, with us.

Integrating sustainable development into our programmes and courses is done by developing students’ knowledge about sustainable development, their ability to contribute to sustainable development, as well as seeing to it that classes are taught in a sustainable and inclusive manner. Working with sustainability in programmes and courses means working to a greater extent across the boundaries between disciplines to meet the ecological, social, and economic challenges that the world is facing. 

Within the framework of the university’s vision, commitment, and national mandate, programmes are to equip students for contributing to climate adaptation and sustainable resource efficiency, for handling and preventing unfair conditions, for contributing to a good, healthy study environment (free from abuse and discrimination) and for creating a sense of wellbeing.

In the concept of sustainability is included gender equality and our responsibility for mainstreaming the gender perspective in our core processes, working to prevent problems caused by gender inequality in our programmes and courses. This is regulated by the Higher Education Act, through our government mandate, and via JiHU – Mainstreaming of Gender Equality in Institutions of Higher Learning – based on political objectives with the mainstreaming of gender equality as a tool for change. Likewise, our efforts to create a level playing field are based upon provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Law. We as an education provider have a particular responsibility to prevent discrimination linked to programmes and, based on disability policy and relevant legislation, to work preventatively on issues of accessibility. Our work on broadening recruitment and participation  is another area with direct relevance to sustainability that is linked to programmes. All of these aspects therefore need to be linked and included in our sustainable development project and integrated into each work unit’s local priorities and activities.

Objectives

• All programme students have knowledge about sustainable development (ecology, gender equality, the level playing field, etc.) and the competence to meet sustainability challenges in exercising their profession as well as in society at large.
• All programme students are given the opportunity to analyse local, national, and global sustainability problems and discuss possible solutions within their subject areas and to do so together with students from other disciplines.
• Students are trained in understanding the complexity of sustainability challenges based upon theoretical perspectives. They do this through interdisciplinary and intercultural encounters and through work-integrated learning.
• All students have a sustainable study environment.
• All educators have basic competence in sustainable development, so that they can teach about and for sustainable development and do so in a sustainable manner.

Strategies

• Sustainable development is an aspect of quality that is followed up on and developed within the framework of the university’s Quality Assurance System for education and is integrated in other strategic management and support processes (top-down).
• Sustainable development is integrated into programmes at all levels, is initiated and carried out by those responsible in the various departments, for programmes and courses (bottom-up) as well as in collaboration with students and the surrounding community.
• Support processes are developed that secure our knowledge in the field, such as educators’ (and other employees’) continuing professional development.
• Our course offerings are developed for the purpose of meeting the need to increase competence that responds to the societal challenges outlined in Agenda 2030.
• Arenas and contexts are created for interdisciplinary studies and work-integrated learning. The aim is that students and educators will be able to encounter other programmes/disciplines and the surrounding community to discuss, analyse, and – if possible – meet the challenges of sustainability.
• Active measures (levelling the playing field) based upon our perspective as an education provider and the mainstreaming of gender equality, are tools in the effort to integrate sustainability into the programmes and courses that we offer.

Responsibility

• The Vice Chancellor and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor have the overarching responsibility.  
• Department heads are responsible at the departmental level.
• The Research and Education Board and the department boards are responsible for development, support, and follow-up (within the framework of the Quality Assurance System for Education).
• The Programme Board, Subject Boards, and all educators             
• Student support, the library, and pedagogical development (SBIP) as well as Administration, for operations support and continuing professional development