Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education

The main objective is to provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences in ESD in the higher education sector. The programme will deepen understanding of the environmental, social-cultural and economic dynamics of sustainable development. It will also enhance the teaching, learning, research, community involvement and management of higher education institutions with regard to ESD.

Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education 2012

Part 1: 23 April - 4 May, 2012 in Sweden
Part 2: October/November 2012, in South Africa for African participants and in China for Asian participants

CLOSED FOR APPLICATION

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is recognised internationally as an important contributor to a more equitable and sustainable society. Based on the Plan of Implementation agreed on at the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg 2002 the United Nations has declared the period 2005 - 2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. UNESCO has been given the responsibility to lead education reforms where the links between environmental, social and economic dimensions of life are given special attention and where democracy and equity are mainstreamed throughout the education system.

In most countries there are ongoing processes of developing or implementing national strategies for sustainable development. These processes include most dimensions of the formal education system such as policy, strategy, curricula, teacher training and material development.

This training programme provides a meeting place for professionals involved in ESD in the higher education sector, coming from Southern African and southern and eastern Asia.

Contents

The programme is built around a Change Project conceptualised by each participant in consultation with his/her institution. As a pre-programme assignment participants are asked to complete an audit of their institution's work related to EE & ESD. Participants are also aked to make a draft plan for a Change Project that is built on needs, tasks and responsibilities in their ordinary work.

The programme is divided into four interlinked modules:

• Change Processes in Higher Education Institutional Settings
• Examining Sustainable Development
• Higher Education responses to Sustainable Development
• Institutional Frameworks in Higher Education

Specific and practical information related to the ESD in Higher Education programme

The ESD in Higher Education training is a more or less fully funded programme aiming at invited countries in SADC region and Asia. This means that the selected participants will receive funding from Sida also for the international travel costs from the closest international airport to and from Sweden and South Africa / China. You still need to cover for the travel to the closest international airport as well as any costs in relation to visas, departure fees or airport taxes (if any).

In this programme one of your work colleagues will join for the weeks in South Africa / China as a co-participant. The co-participant should also attend the national workshop together with your Supervisor or Head of the Institution. Please, note that your organisation will be responsible for any travel and accommodation costs that you may incur linked to this national workshop.

The training runs in Sweden at different times each year so the weather will vary. In 2012 it will run in April, which is in the Swedish spring. The weather is quite unpredictable then, it might rain but probably not snow. If selected to the programme, more information regarding this and other practical information will be sent out a few weeks prior to the training.