University Transformation Now! Declaration on sustainability in university teaching
In June, "Hochschultransformation Jetzt! A Declaration on Sustainability in University Teaching (Hochschultransformation Jetzt! Erklärung zur Nachhaltigkeit in der Hochschullehre)" was published with the aim of driving change in university teaching throughout Germany. Two members of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), Prof. Dr Britta M. Gossel, Professor of Social Business Management, and Inga Thao My Bui, a student on the Master's programme in Education - Sustainability - Transformation, are co-developers and first signatories of the declaration.
For the 2022 annual programme "University Teaching in the Context of Sustainability" of the Foundation Innovation in University Teaching (Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, StIL), a total of 33 university members of various status groups selected for the programme have met regularly since September 2022 to work on impulses for change in university teaching. One thing is clear: Sustainability is present in universities and is already being incorporated into university strategies, working groups and job profiles. However, it is also clear that the implementation of sustainability in teaching is essential for future university graduates. The prerequisite is to accept the urgency of sustainable development in university teaching, to actively and vehemently shape the transformation of university teaching and to create the framework conditions for this to succeed. This change in university teaching is necessary now and not in the distant future.
At HNEE, a whole-institution approach integrates sustainability into all aspects of life, work and operations at the university. The coordination centre of the working group "Sustainability at Brandenburg Universities" helps universities to further develop teaching, research, transfer and governance. Under the leadership of Dr Jennifer Krah (HNEE) and Prof. Dr Heike Molitor (Head of Department and Professor of Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development), HNEE, the office supports Brandenburg universities in anchoring sustainability in mission statements and curricula as well as developing corresponding training programmes.
The working group recently published a handout on the subject: Molitor, H.; Krah, J.; Reimann, J.; Bellina, L.; Bruns, A. (2022): Zukunftsfähige Curricula gestalten - Eine Handreichung zur curricularen Verankerung von Hochschulbildung für nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Working Group for Sustainability at Brandenburg Universities (ed.), Eberswalde.
Teachers of all disciplines and multipliers receive information on the thematic and content-related anchoring of sustainability, the didactic and methodological anchoring of ESD (education for sustainable development) and competence-oriented HBNE (higher education for sustainable development) in the module descriptions of the study programmes.
In addition, the coordination centre makes its experience available nationwide on request.
About the 2022 annual programme: The annual programme pursued the goals of promoting the individual potential of those involved in sustainability in teaching, creating trust between the stakeholder groups and encouraging decisions, actions and implementation in a total of five face-to-face workshops. A total of 33 students, research/academic staff, professors, administrative and service staff and people in management roles involved in teaching took part in the annual programme.
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