The Higher Education Academy

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The Higher Education Academys Education for
Sustainable Development Project
EAUC-Scotland Campus Sustainability
Conference Queen Margaret University 6 May 2008
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The Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Project

• Began early 2005 with support of Forum for the
  Future
• First stage audit of subject communities carried
  out by 18 of the 24 Subject Centres
• Culminated in the Dawe Report, available from
  our website http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd

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ESD Projects Strategy

• Purpose to help institutions and subject
  communities develop curricula and pedagogy that
  will give students the skills and knowledge to
  live and work sustainably.

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Programme Areas

• 1 Research and development
• 2 Capacity building
• 3 Coordination and dissemination

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Aims

• 1 To research and support the development of ESD
  in the HE sector, particularly within subject
  communities.
• 2 To build capacity amongst individuals, subject
  communities and institutions to embed ESD in
  curricula and pedagogy.
• 3 To assist the coordination and dissemination
  of policy, research and practice relating to ESD
  in institutions, the HEA and the wider field.

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The future isnt what it used to be
peak oil
global warming
insecurities
unsustainability
uncertainty
dense interdependence
stresses
globalisation
population pressures
complexity
ecosystem degradation
inequity
overconsumption
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Research and support

• Research into the UK Policy Context
• undertaken by Forum for the Future
• on England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
• Research on Labour Market Evidence for
  Sustainable Careers Advice
• undertaken by StudentForce for Sustainability
• surveyed students, employers, careers advisors

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Research and support

• Research on Labour Market Evidence for
  Sustainable Careers Advice The Evidence
• The trend to more responsible employers is
  affecting the graduate job market and the demand
  for more particular competencies from recent
  graduate recruits.
• The graduate employability agenda is now closely
  linked to the employer sustainability agenda.
• There is mounting evidence that, and media
  coverage about how, students want to work for
  ethical employers who are environmentally and
  socially responsible.
• Many HEIs are responding to the challenges of ESD
  through institutional changes in terms of
  Campus, Curriculum and Community, but not so
  much in terms of competencies or careers.

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Research and support

• Research on Labour Market Evidence for
  Sustainable Careers Advice The Advice
• Raising academic staff awareness about SD and CSR
• Relating student and staff volunteering to
  academic learning
• Linking universities and employers
• Linking SD and CSR on campus with teaching and
  learning
• Building on student behaviour

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Research and support

• Small Grant Funding
• 12 projects from 8 HEIs and/or Subject Centres
• 13 disciplines
• 3 projects funded in Scotland at 3 different
  HEIs, due to deliver this summer
• 8 new mini-projects being funded now

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Capacity building and networking

• Solo HEI Events
• University of East Anglia
• University of Gloucestershire and Harper Adams
  College
• 1 planned for Scotland soon
• A Three-Day Interdisciplinary Seminar Series
• 3 universities, 15 disciplines represented

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Capacity building and networking

• Regional ESD Networking Events
• East Midlands, November 2006
• South West, Bristol, March 2007
• Scotland, Dundee, June 2007
• Community Projects
• Thornbury involving University of Cardiff,
  University of the West of England, University of
  Gloucestershire, Leeds University
• University of Gloucestershire projects
• Conference
• 10-11 July 2007 Sustainability and the
  Curriculum
• Presentations available on our website

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Coordination and dissemination

• Joined Up Thinking
• Informal meetings of key actors/HEI in the field
• Resource Development
• Our website
• Subject Centres

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Coordination and dissemination

• Subject Centre Activity
• Projects
• Workshops
• Joint events
• Publications
• Generic Module, and Learning and Teaching
  Framework
• Sustainability Policy
• (joint post with Centre for Sustainable Futures
  - Plymouth)

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Where next?
The emphasis in 07-08 was on on coordination and
dissemination.
Your views and involvement are invited.
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• Our website http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/esd
• Our e-mail sustainability_at_heacademy.ac.uk
• Project Co-ordinator Heather Witham