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DERC webinar: We can do this! Education for survival

UK educators Stephen Scoffham and Steve Rawlinson lead a session providing analysis and critique of sustainability education approaches

Submitted by Kester on Wed, 12/10/2022 - 14:36

Save the date for ANGEL Conference 2023.

Please mark your diaries for a major face to face event at UNESCO HQ, Paris, on the 15 & 16 June 2023.

Submitted by Kester on Tue, 12/07/2022 - 14:28

ANGEL Chair's message to members on a new European Declaration on Global Education.

A statement on how ANGEL will be supporting the planned launch of a new declaration to be launched by Global Education Network Europe in November of this year.

Submitted by Kester on Mon, 11/10/2021 - 11:52

New ANGEL Seminar Series now confirmed for 2021 and 2022.

Find all the details of ANGEL's new regular series of shorter events aimed at Global Education professionals.

ANGEL CONFERENCE 2019: Reflections and documents.

Information, including programme, feedback report, pictures and video, on ANGEL Conference 2019 - perhaps the largest ever academic conference solely focusing on global education.

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Academic Network on Global Education and Learning

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UK educators Stephen Scoffham and Steve Rawlinson lead a session providing analysis and critique of sustainability education approaches Submitted by Kester on Wed, 12/10/2022 - 14:36 Please mark your diaries for a major face to face event at UNESCO HQ, Paris, on the 15 & 16 June 2023.

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Information for students

While studying at university, students engage in more than only the activities that are part of their study. Beyond the activities, which are required to complete their academic programme, out of their own accord, they organise or actively engage in initiatives that contribute to others, organisations and society. In overall, engagement in such extracurricular activities is beneficial to the well-being and development of themselves and their environment.

By engaging in volunteering and having a meaningful contribution in the matters that are important to them, you are able to actualise yourself, benefiting your well-being. As a supplement, you learn more about yourself, acquire knowledge, and develop competencies and skills. You learn. This self-development that occurs through participation in volunteering is complementary to the knowledge, competencies and skills that you gain through your academic study.

Students who engage in volunteering tune into the reality of the needs of people, organisations and society. This application to the matters at hand for people, organisations and society, is in line with challenge-based learning, which invites and stimulates you to apply and to refine your competencies developed through Problem-Based Learning, on the currently relevant questions in non-academic settings. You learn to adapt and apply your academically obtained expertise, competencies and skills to cope with the challenges outside of the academic setting, in such a manner that is worthwhile and sustainable to yourself and to your environment. perfect volunteering gig next to your studies

Log in to and find that perfect volunteering gig next to your studies!

Information for voluntary organisations

When students engage in volunteering and make a meaningful contribution to issues that are important to them, they can develop themselves. In addition, they learn more about themselves acquire knowledge and develop competences and skills. They learn. This self-development that takes place through participation in voluntary work is complementary to the knowledge, competences and skills they acquire during their academic studies.

Students who participate in volunteering tune into the reality of the needs of people, organisations and society around them. This application to the actual questions of people, organisations and society is in line with challenge-based learning, which invites and encourages them to apply and refine their competences developed through Problem-Based Learning, to actual relevant questions in non-academic settings. They learn to apply and refine their academically acquired expertise, competences and skills to meet the challenges outside the academic setting in a way that is worthwhile and sustainable for themselves and for their environment.

As an organisation, you can contribute. You support our students on their journey of self-development and teach them what community involvement is. This will benefit them throughout their whole lives. At the same time, our students will not only provide you with a pair of extra hands, but they will also come with new knowledge, energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas.

Register your organisation and start offering voluntary work for our students on the portal!

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While studying at university, students engage in more than only the activities that are part of their study. Beyond the activities, which are required to complete their academic programme, out of their own accord, they organise or actively engage in initiatives that contribute to others, organisations and society.

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Now is the time for global citizenship education to come of age

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Maastricht University's cross-syllabus approach could point the way forward, say Herco Fonteijn and Teun Dekker

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PDF shared in password protected area

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Now is the time for global citizenship education to come of age

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Maastricht University's cross-syllabus approach could point the way forward, say Herco Fonteijn and Teun Dekker

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Sustainable Education aims to strengthen and enlarge the sustainable development education at UM, and it wants to provide an overview for everyone who is interested in topics of sustainability. The project team is positioned at the heart of the academic community, and acts as a facilitator within the UM's sustainability initiative.
Read more about:

The topic sustainable development in courses and programmes at UM (see below)

Minor Sustainability - click here

Sustainability grant for course/module development - click here

SDG Seminar Series - click here

Student Projects - click here

Education Liaisons - click here

Strengthening competencies for sustainable development at UM - click here

Sustainable Education Initiatives at UM - click here

The topic sustainable development in courses and programmes at UM

UM's aim is to integrate sustainable development in all programmes. Each educational program incorporates sustainable development (competencies) into the core curricula in a way that is appropriate and relevant to the programme. This is done by finding faculties' unique perspectives and ways to add value to contribute to a sustainable world.

Since the project team has started taking count of courses which integrate the topic of sustainability, sustainable development, and/or the Sustainable Development Goals into their course descriptions in 2018-2019, the number of courses has increased substantially. Since then, the count has gone up from 9 to more than 43 Bachelor level courses, and from 17 to more than 26 Master level courses. For an overview of the courses and programmes on various levels, please see the lists below.

Bachelor's

Healthy Environments and Sustainability in the EU (FHML, 9 ECTS)

Sustainability and Social-Ecological Systems (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)

Sustainability and human health (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)

Systems Thinking Competency (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 2.5 ECTS)

Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)

From Climate Conflict to Climate Justice (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)

Collaboration Competency: Exploring Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (SBE, Minor Sustainability, 2.5 ECTS)

Sustainability Project (SBE/ Minor Sustainability, 5 ECTS)

Sustainable Development for Emerging Markets (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)

Corporate Governance (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)

Evidence-based Impact Assessment for Sustainable Business Practices (SBE, 4 ECTS)

Operations Management (SBE, 5 ECTS)

Authority, Expertise and Environmental Change (FASoS, 9 ECTS)

Globalisation and Inequality (FASoS/part of minor globalisation and development, 12 ECTS)

Sustainable Development: An Introduction (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)

Globalization and Inequality: Perspectives on Development (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)

Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)

The Social Study of Environmental Problems: Between Nature, Society and Politics (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)

Innovation Systems, Policy and Sustainability Transitions (FSE/UCM, 5 ECTS)

Sustainable Development (FSE/UCV, 5 ECTS)

Sustainable Food Production (FSE/UCV, 5 ECTS)

Sustainability and Social Justice (FSE/UCV, 5 ECTS)

Biobased Materials and Technology (FSE/MSP, 5 ECTS)

Sustainable Development (FSE/MSP, 5 ECTS)

Digital Society (FSE/DKE, 4 ECTS)

Chemical Engineering (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Life Cycle Assessment Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Energy Systems (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Sustainable Food Production (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Polymeric Materials (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Sustainable Agronomy (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Horticulture Systems Design (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Design Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Design Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Design Project (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Chemical Eng. Thermodynamics & Kinetics (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Chemical Separations (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Chemical Plant Design (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Circular Process Design and Control (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Biotechnology for Sustainable Processes (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Sensors, Instrumentation and Measurement (FSE, 5 ECTS)

Advanced Electronics Skills (FSE, 2.5 ECTS)

Microbiology and Fermentation Skills (FSE, 2.5 ECTS)

International Environmental Law (SSC/CES, 7.5 ECTS)

Sustainable Development (SSC/CES, 6 ECTS)

Master's

Sustainable Development(SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)

Sustainability Science, Policy and Society (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)

Governance for Sustainable Development (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)

Sustainability, Law and the Environment (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)

Integrated Sustainability Project (SBE/MSI, 5 ECTS)

Innovation for Sustainable Development (SBE/MSI 5 ECTS)

Thesis Research and Writing (SBE/MSI 15 ECTS)

Sustainability Assessment Skills (SBE/MSI, 4 ECTS)

Innovation and Innovation Policy From A System Perspective (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)

The Social Entrepreneurship Public Policy Nexus (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)

Managing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)

Solution Design and Policy Communication (SBE/MGSoG, 4 ECTS)

Sustainable Finance, Management and Strategy (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)

Sustainable and Responsible Investments (SBE, 6.5 ECTS)

Strategies for Health Protection, Disease Prevention and Re-integration into Work (FHML, 6 ETCS)

Occupational Health Management (FHML, 6 ETCS)

Business Strategy in the European Luxury (Maastricht Summer School, 6 ECTS)

Biobased Materials (FSE, 6 ECTS)

Sustainability of Biobased Materials (FSE, 6 ECTS)

Human Rights and Human Development (FoL, 6 ECTS)

Law of the Sea (FoL, 6 ECTS)

European Environmental Law (FoL, 6 ECTS)

Sustainability Grant for Education

The sustainability grant for education aims to integrate sustainability further into the various core course curricula at UM by providing teachers with the time to (re)develop educational modules to integrate the topic of sustainability and/or sustainable development competencies into the course. Three educational projects have been awarded with this grant in the academic year 2021-2022.

Right now you can apply again for this grant! Deadline to apply is 13 th of December, 2022. You can apply by clicking the green button. Download here (pdf) the rules and requirements.

For any further questions or inquiries, you can contact Ceren Pekdemir.

SDG Seminar series on professionals in sustainable development

Together with UM Green Office we organise regular seminars in which professionals in the sustainability field share their successes and struggles. This is your chance to learn from their experience and to ask your questions! These SDG seminars are intended to approach sustainability issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN.
2022
Click here to rewatch a former recorded seminar on Transformative Change online

Student projects

Beyond the courses specifically incorporating sustainability in the course content, the topic of sustainable development can also be integrated in student projects within a course. For example, UM offers several honours programmes in which you can work on a sustainability project for a real client such as PREMIUM and MaRBLe. Or you can write your thesis on a subject related to sustainaibility. If you need help or would like to brainstorm together with the team of Sustainable UM2030 on further integrating sustainability into educational projects you may contact us.

Education Liaisons SUM2030

In November 2021, the Sustainable Education project team kicked-off its first Education Liaisons meeting. This collaboration with liaisons from the various faculties has been initiated to:

deepen the embedding of sustainability in education across faculty programmes;

share information and news concerning sustainable education with the project team and the faculties;

identify and stimulate relevant faculty projects;

seek intra-faculty collaboration where possible;

share best practices but also challenges;

involve UM faculties and centers in the UM-wide SUM2030 educational projects.

Strengthening competencies for sustainable development at UM

Within the international discourse on education for sustainable development, there is large agreement on key competencies. Thanks to UM's problem-based teaching method, a number of these skills are already amply covered, such as (integrated) problem solving, cooperation and critical thinking. It encourages students to work together in a critical and interdisciplinary way to solve problems. These competences are also recognised in UNESCO's skills in education for sustainability (see for example chapter 2 of Issues and Trends in Education for Sustainable Development).

Some competencies can be complemented or strengthened to enable students to think and act in a sustainable way. In the past years, the Global Citizenship project actively engages in the topic of incorporating global citizenship skills into the educational offerings across the faculty programmes, and within the minor Sustainability new courses have been developed on sustainable development competencies.

There are also courses and short trainings available for staff members via GoodHabitz, for instance on the topic of what it means to be really 'green' with various practical tips to be eco-friendly at work and at home.

Sustainable Education Initiatives at UM

Extracurricular courses

At Maastricht University there are also extracurricular courses organised on the topic of sustainable development. Would you like to ask input from the project sustainability pillar on the content, promotion, or co-development options? Do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Another Sustainability: Approaches Beyond the Mainstream

From 15th of March until 17th of May 2022, UM hosted the extracurricular course 'Another Sustainability: Approaches Beyond the Mainstream'. The course was organised in the framework of the Jean Monnet Chair in EU Politics in a Changing Global Context (CHANCE), held by Dr. Giselle Bosse.

The course aimed to stimulate the development of the student's perspectives on the different topics presented during the course. This was done through presentations held by the students, guest lecturers (about Capitalocene, Offset Schemes, Degrowth, Ecosocialism and Sufficiency) and documentary movies about Syntropic Farming and Planned Obsolescence. The last movie, The Ants & the Grasshopper, was screened at Lumière Cinema and wrapped up the course.

The course was created and coordinated by Tiago Pestilla Fabbri, former Education/Research Officer at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Tiago Pestilla Fabbri and the students attending the course.

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Sustainable Education aims to strengthen and enlarge the sustainable development education at UM, and it wants to provide an overview for everyone who is interested in topics of sustainability. The project team is positioned at the heart of the academic community, and acts as a facilitator within the UM's sustainability initiative.

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Coordinator
Dr. Ceren Pekdemir

Sustainability and Social-Ecological Systems

Course code: EBC2187
Course Period: 1
ECTS credits of this course: 5

Full course description:
Central to the pursuit of sustainable development is the integrated consideration of economic, social and environmental aspects. However, traditional scientific paradigms are based on reductionist thinking, which tries to understand things by taking them apart. In sustainability science, systems thinking is key to address the complex and interdependent nature of our coupled social-ecological systems.

Many people recognize the need to transition to a sustainable and resilient society, but this requires new ways of thinking about and addressing complex problems. Widespread adoption of systems thinking is believed to be a precondition for making real progress towards sustainability, but few understand its' importance. Systems thinking is a process for understanding the interrelationships among the key components of a system.

This course will introduce students to systems thinking and how it can be applied to understand sustainability problems and challenges of coupled social-ecological systems. Students will also become acquainted with (quantitative) sustainability impact assessment. After familiarizing themselves with key concepts, students will explore systems thinking across two areas:

* Earth systems and coupled social-ecological systems: Students will explore biogeochemical cycles; climate systems feedbacks and climate tipping points; interlinkages between the climate systems and our food systems; resilience and adaptive sustainable food systems.

* Rethinking production systems: Students will explore the transition to a biobased and circular economy through topics like materials from renewable resources, renewable energy systems, plastic waste scenarios, design for recycling, circularity concepts and energy in the built environment.
Course objectives:
Students are able to...

understand key terms, concepts and principles related to (social-ecological) systems-thinking;

understand the complexities of (coupled) social-ecological systems;

apply system's thinking to key sustainability challenges, such as climate change, sustainable food systems and biobased/circular production systems;

reflect on the potential of interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding in the pursuit of sustainable social-ecological systems.

Intended assessment methods: assignment; final paper; final presentation

Prerequisites: None

Sustainability and Human Health

Course code: EBC2188
Course Period: 1
ECTS credits of this course: 5

Full course description:
Our health is (or should be) a key component in the sustainable development debate. For example, the first principle of the seminal 1992 United Nations Rio Declaration on Environment and Development states that "Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature". Similarly, the World Health Organization argues that 'sustainable development cannot be achieved when there is a high prevalence of debilitating illnesses, and population health cannot be maintained without ecologically sustainable development'. Throughout the course, students will reflect on the (central) role of human health in the sustainable development debate.

In the past the exploitation of the environment has benefited our health, for example by increasing food production to feed billions of people. However, the exploitation and contamination of the environment is now beginning to threaten our health. Hence, the same natural systems that have benefited us for so long (by providing key ecosystem services in support of our wellbeing), are now suffering from the consequences of human activities. It has, for example, been estimated that diseases caused by pollution were responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths in 2015-16% of all deaths worldwide. And climate change is now perceived by many as one of the key global health threats of the 21st century.

The emerging field of planetary health explicitly accounts for the importance of natural systems in terms of averted cases of disease and the potential harm that comes from human perturbations of these systems. This course will discuss how human health depends on the health of our planet and explores relevant examples of this interlinkage (e.g. pollution, climate change, zoonotic disease emergence). Next to looking at our physical health, we will also explore mental health, well-being and human behaviour in relation to sustainable development.
Course objectives:
Students are able to...

understand what is meant with (planetary) health;

explore how human health depends on the health of the planet by exploring relevant examples (pollution, climate change, zoonotic disease emergence);

explore mental health, well-being and behavior in relation to sustainable development;

reflect on the (central) role of human health in the sustainable development debate.

Intended assessment methods: presentation; written examination

Prerequisites: None

Systems Thinking Competency

Course code: EBS2074
Course Period: 1
ECTS credits of this course: 2,5

Full course description:
A core competency for contributing to sustainable development is systems-thinking. Systems consist of 1) elements or parts, 2) interconnections (the way these characteristics relate to and/or feed back into each other), and 3) a function or purpose (Meadows, 2008). Systems can be simple or complex when they range across domains (environmental, economic, social, etc.) and scales (local to global). Systems thinking starts from an understanding of what systems are and the subsequent ability to analyze systems. A good understanding of the main facets of systems and of how systems work is of particular importance for thinking and acting in favor of sustainable development, as for instance intervention points can be identified, future trajectories anticipated, and for building transition strategies.

This skills course runs in parallel with the course Sustainability and Social-Ecological Systems. In both of these courses students will get acquainted with the core concepts of systems thinking (including system dynamics and mental models). Where this skills course clearly deviates is that students will experience and learn about the core concepts of systems thinking through in class exercises and games, and apply the concepts to a case in their present live to also understand the place of the self within a system. The focus on (in-class) exercises is intended to stimulate discovery and confirmation of the main principles underlying systems thinking theory.
Course objectives:

Students are able to...

understand the main concepts of systems thinking (including systems dynamics and mental models);

create a systems diagram on a chosen social-environmental system;

reflect on one's self within the (social-environmental) system;

reflect on one's own experience with systems thinking during in-class exercises.

Intended assessment methods: attendance; final paper

Prerequisites: None

From Climate Conflict to Climate Justice

Course code: EBC2190
Course Period: 2
ECTS credits of this course: 5

Full course description:
This course aims to provide students basic insight into core policy and law issues related to the world wide problem of climate change.

The course consists of three building blocks:

1) Science and Attribution of Conflict
First, the scene will be set by studying the politics of climate science and the role of science for assessing environmental, economic, and social consequences of climate change. In light of this, we will also study the potential conflict inducing nature of climate change.

2) Regulation to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
Second, we will delve into the international institutional and regulatory frameworks to reduce world-wide greenhouse gas emissions, we will scrutinize their ambition, and evaluate what national action is needed. In light of this, we will explore Global North-South perspectives, including discussing the greater responsibility that developed countries should take. The Paris Agreement and the European effort to become climate neutral by 2050 will be the focal points of attention.

3) Climate Justice and the Role of the Courts
Third, we will discuss climate justice through the lens of human rights. In this context, we will explore how litigation can be used by civil society in order to hold governments and companies to account for implementing effective climate policies. Some ground-breaking climate court cases will be scrutinized and critically discussed.
Course objectives:
Students are able to...

understand the politics of climate science and the role of science for assessing environmental, economic, and social consequences of climate change;

identify the international institutional mechanisms and regulatory approaches in the field of climate change, and explore the necessity for regional (EU) and national implementation;

explain and explore what role procedural rights and litigation, including human rights claims, play or could play to combat climate change;

critically reflect how climate conflicts could be mitigated and climate justice could be promoted, including a global North and global South perspective.

Intended assessment methods: written examination (in an online format); quiz

Prerequisites: None

Social and Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Course code: EBC2189
Course Period: 2
ECTS credits of this course: 5

Full course description:
Entrepreneurship is viewed as an important tool for tackling complex sustainable development problems and challenges. Social entrepreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship are becoming mainstream forms of organising that span the private, public and third sector. The defining features of social and sustainable entrepreneurship are an explicit and central social and/or environmental mission, combined with innovation, creativity and earned income strategies. Well known social and sustainable enterprises that we will explore in the course include Tony's Chocolonely, Patagonia, and the Grameen Bank.

This course will provide students the opportunity to learn how to apply entrepreneurship knowledge and skills to address complex social and environmental problems. This course is structured around experiential problem-based learning, providing students the opportunity to synthesise theory and practice as they develop an idea for their own social and sustainable enterprises.

Topics will include: critically case analysis; user centred-design; strategizing; measuring social and environmental impact; entrepreneurial pitching.
Course objectives:
Students are able to...

understand what is meant by social and sustainable entrepreneurship (based on theory and practice);

critically analyse organisations engaging in social and sustainable entrepreneurship;

identify and evaluate opportunities for social and sustainable entrepreneurship;

conduct research in the field of social and sustainable entrepreneurship;

develop a strategy for a social and sustainable enterprise;

prepare and present documentation to pitch a novel enterprise idea.

Intended assessment methods: participation; facilitation; video presentation; final presentation; final paper

Prerequisites: None

Collaboration Competency: Exploring Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Course code: EBS2075
Course Period: 2
ECTS credits of this course: 2,5

Full course description:
Sustainable development challenges facing our world today, including complex issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss, require joint and concerted action to be effectively addressed. As differences in needs, perspectives, and strategic agendas are amplified, gaining trust and shared understanding between stakeholders is a difficult task to achieve. Nonetheless, also in situations where parties seem divergent and head strong, there may be room to come to an agreement beneficial for all. Fostering the competency of collaboration is widely recognized to be of crucial importance for thinking and acting in favor of sustainable development. While various definitions exist, at the core of the competency of collaboration lies the ability to learn from others; about being empathetic and respectful to the needs, perspectives and actions of others; about dealing with conflicts and facilitating participatory and collaborative problem-solving. In this skills course, students will be acquainted with collaboration competency and its important facets (including empathy, communication, active listening, negotiating, the use of conflict and of conflict resolution), will experience and learn about these facets through in-class exercises and games, and apply techniques - for instance through negotiation and conflict resolution games -to gain insight into different perspectives, build trust, improve communication and recognize opportunities for successfully negotiated agreements.
Course objectives:
Students are able to...

understand the meaning of collaboration and its various facets;

reflect on reactions when dealing with different perspectives and conflict situations;

discover and apply negotiation skills through in-class exercises and games;

reflect on one's own experience when dealing with strategies for conflict resolution during in-class exercises and games;

engage in participatory and collaborative problem-solving for sustainable development issues.

Intended assessment methods: attendance; portfolio

Prerequisites: None

Project Sustainability

Course code: EBP2002
Course Period: 3
ECTS credits of this course: 5

Full course description:
In Project Sustainability, students apply the knowledge and skills they have gathered from previous courses of the Sustainability Minor to address an actual sustainability-related issue. By use of qualitative and/or quantitative approaches and indicators, students assess the problems and conditions related to the issue at hand. Students collaborate in small (interdisciplinary) groups to select and identify a topic of their choice. The course provides example issues, but also welcome students' ideas on actual issues associated with sustainability. Groups elaborate on the identified problem, design ways of addressing it and assess the results of doing so with sustainability indicator(s). The final product of the project is a report and a presentation that describes the solution approach the students have designed.

Typically, topics that students consider are focused on a specific level within a system (e.g., individual, organizational, community, city, regional, national, global), and require considering multiple system levels simultaneously. Consequently, applying systems, multilevel, and design thinking is a crucial part of Project Sustainability.

As students will closely collaborate in this project, two core skills are developed: interdisciplinary teamwork and project management. Project Sustainability provides an opportunity to target actual sustainability issues, address them, and assess impact and conditions that lead to better sustainability conditions by students.
Course objectives:
Students are able to...

identify, understand, and apply methods of sustainability assessment targeting various units of analysis at different levels within social-environmental systems and the interactions between them;

reflect on the suitability of sustainability assessment tools for analyzing different levels of systems;

deepen, integrate, and apply sustainability knowledge and understanding on a chosen topic of study;

critically reflect on the potential of interdisciplinary approaches to contribute to sustainability.

Intended assessment methods: attendance; final paper; final presentation; participation; presentation

Prerequisites: All preceding courses of the minor Sustainability

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Coordinator Dr. Ceren Pekdemir Course code: EBC2187 Course Period: 1 ECTS credits of this course: 5 Full course description: Central to the pursuit of sustainable development is the integrated consideration of economic, social and environmental aspects. However, traditional scientific paradigms are based on reductionist thinking, which tries to understand things by taking them apart.

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While the world may be increasingly interconnected, human rights violations, inequality and poverty still threaten peace and sustainability.

Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is UNESCO's response to these challenges. It works by empowering learners of all ages to understand that these are global, not local issues and to become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable societies.

GCED is a strategic area of UNESCO's Education Sector programme and builds on the work of Peace and Human Rights Education. It aims to instil in learners the values, attitudes and behaviours that support responsible global citizenship: creativity, innovation, and commitment to peace, human rights and sustainable development.

UNESCO's work in this area is grounded in its own Constitution which aims to 'build peace in the minds of men and women,' the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Education 2030 Agenda and Framework for Action, notably Target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development Agenda, the Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1974), and the World Programme for Human Rights Education (2005-ongoing).

Under the GCED umbrella, UNESCO has several special themes: Preventing violent extremism through education, Education about the Holocaust and genocide, Languages in education and and the promotion of the rule of law through global citizenship education

UNESCO collaborates with an extensive global network to disseminate GCED including its own Category 1 institutes, other UN agencies and inter-governmental organizations, including regional organizations, most notably: the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development ( MGIEP), the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa ( IICBA), the UNESCO Institute for Statistic ( UIS), the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding ( APCEIU), the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network (ASPNet) and UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs.

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While the world may be increasingly interconnected, human rights violations, inequality and poverty still threaten peace and sustainability. Global Citizenship Education (GCED) is UNESCO's response to these challenges. It works by empowering learners of all ages to understand that these are global, not local issues and to become active promoters of more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable societies.

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We believe everyone can change the world. With the help of Global Citizenship Education, we can learn to do things better, to live by values that make a difference.

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YUFE CivicStarFactsheet with competence framework adapted from UM GCEd framework

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YUFE ProfessionalStar Competency profile is adapted from the UM GCEd and ENTRECOMP frameworks 

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The competency profile of this European University was adapted from the UM GCEd competency profile

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The YUFE Alliance is based on the joint vision of ten young research-intensive universities and four non-academic partners located all across Europe. The YUFE partners came together based on their shared dedication to the European spirit, their common aim to contribute to a more competitive, innovative and united Europe and their ambition to help address today's challenges.

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The YUFE Alliance is based on the joint vision of ten young research-intensive universities and four non-academic partners located all across Europe. The YUFE partners came together based on their shared dedication to the European spirit, their common aim to contribute to a more competitive, innovative and united Europe and their ambition to help address today's challenges.

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VIA Character Strengths Survey & Character Reports | VIA Institute

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Do you know your character strengths? Once you do, you'll be empowered to face life's challenges, work toward goals and feel more fulfilled, personally and professionally. Take the free personality assessment test from the VIA Institute on Character so you can discover your strengths today.

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Abstract

Like every year, this factsheet reports on the employability
of UM alumni. How well does Maastricht University (UM) prepare its students for the labour market? What do the career paths of UM alumni look like in the short and medium term? How do UM alumni look back on their master's studies in Maastricht? We report these Key Performance Indicators for the UM as a whole as well as for the separate faculties. The factsheet is based on alumni research among three cohorts that participated in a survey in 2020. The first cohort graduated in the academic year 2018-2019 (1.5 years prior to the survey), the second in 2014-2015 (five years prior to the survey) and the third in 2009-2010 (ten years prior to the survey). This year, we discuss the results also in light of the current COVID-19 situation, which has affected the labour market as a severe economic crisis.

Cite this

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Maastricht University Graduate Surveys 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Like every year, this factsheet reports on the employabilityof UM alumni. How well does Maastricht University (UM) prepare its students for the labour market? What do the career paths of UM alumni look like in the short and medium term? How do UM alumni look back on their master's studies in Maastricht?

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Student-led elective at Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

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The UCL Global Citizenship Programme brings together students from across UCL to explore the biggest global challenges.

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This new publication sets forward the PISA framework for global competence developed by the OECD, which aligns closely with the definition developed by the Center for Global Education at Asia Society. Based on the Center's extensive experience supporting educators in integrating global competence into their teaching, the publication also provides practical guidance and examples of how educators can embed global competence into their existing curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

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Teaching for Global Competence in a Rapidly Changing World | en | OECD

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Data and research on education including skills, literacy, research, elementary schools, childhood learning, vocational training and PISA, PIACC and TALIS surveys., This new publication sets forward the PISA framework for global competence developed by the OECD, which aligns closely with the definition developed by the Center for Global Education at Asia Society.

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VALUE rubrics are open educational resources (OER) that enable educators to assess students' original work. AAC&U offers a proven methodology for applying the VALUE rubrics to evaluate student performance reliably and verifiably across sixteen broad, cross-cutting learning outcomes.

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VALUE rubrics are open educational resources (OER) that enable educators to assess students' original work. AAC&U offers a proven methodology for applying the VALUE rubrics to evaluate student performance reliably and verifiably across sixteen broad, cross-cutting learning outcomes.

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Decolonization involves identifying colonial systems, structures and relationships, and working to challenge those systems. It is not "integration" or simply the token inclusion of the intellectual achievements of non-white cultures. Rather, it involves a paradigm shift from a culture of exclusion and denial to the making of space for other political philosophies and knowledge systems. It's a culture shift to think more widely about why common knowledge is what it is, and in so doing adjusting cultural perceptions and power relations in real and significant ways.

One of the most significant problems relating to gaps in the curriculum in higher education is the lack of representation of black and minority ethnic groups. This is commonly referred to as the colonisation of the curriculum. The content of the curriculum in our universities continues to reflect and maintain a colonial legacy through the presentation of a white, western intellectual tradition as not only superior to other forms of knowledge but as universal. Since the end of the colonial period, epistemologies and knowledge systems at our universities have not changed considerably; they remain rooted in colonial and Western-centric worldviews. The curriculum remains largely Eurocentric and continues to reinforce white and Western dominance and privilege, while at the same time being full of stereotypes, prejudices and patronising views about non-white people and cultures. The academic space has been one of the key platforms that remind us of the legacy of the colonial past. Practically all academic disciplines have been influenced by a history of colonial thinking where western attitudes have dominated academic narratives and practices. For too long, teaching in universities has encouraged a 'traditional' and 'canonical' approach that privileges the work of selected authors. If we mainly cite white men in our work, we recreate a world where only knowledge produced by them is considered important, having the effect of marginalising the knowledge produced by others. Even where the curriculum includes the intellectual work of people racialized as other-than-white, it can still operate as a white curriculum. Those non-white writers are often presented as offering a response to 'mainstream' (i.e. white) thought, rather than as thinkers who themselves demand response. The white curricula not only compromises the quality of education, it also asserts irrational and unjust practices and has detrimental effects on both staff and students. Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students are the first to feel the effects of a white curriculum. They find themselves under-represented and under-stimulated by the content of their curricula, with their histories, narratives and experiences omitted from mainstream discourse. The white curriculum feeds into the feeling of isolation, marginalisation, alienation, and exclusion which is internalised as these students live under the burden of the negative stereotypes regarding their communities and do not wish to reinforce them. As a consequence BME students may not feel confident to speak up or to call this out, as much like their white counterparts, they have been socialised to see the institution as the gatekeeper of worthwhile knowledge. Our curriculum, like other university curricula in the UK, is centred on the 'pale, male and stale', and does not benefit nor capture the interest of a diverse staff and student body. Decolonisation has become particularly important since the recent managerial turn in university systems (auditing, benchmarking, ranking through REF and TEF, and non-stop complete strategic planning) has narrowed, not enriched, the domain of knowledge increasing pressure to teach and research for short-term profit.

The university curricula will not decolonise itself. It will not happen through the bureaucratised curriculum design reviews. Major curriculum reform cannot be achieved without greater democratisation of the university as an institution, and its relation to wider society. It is not something that happens overnight, it requires a sustained and serious commitment as well as ownership by all members of the university - staff and students, white and non-white.

What would it mean to decolonise the University curriculum?

1. Decolonising the curriculum means, first of all, acknowledging that knowledge is not owned by anyone. It is a cumulative and shared resource that is available to all. Knowledge (and culture) is collectively produced and human beings of all races, ethnicities, classes , genders, sexual orientations, and disabilities have as much right as elite white men to understand what our roles and contributions have been in shaping intellectual achievements and shifting culture and progress.

2. Decolonising the curriculum is to recognise that knowledge is inevitably marked by power relations. Our universities exist in a global economy of knowledge, with a definite hegemonic centre, reflecting hierarchies of race, class and gender. At the top of this hierarchy sit the knowledge institutions of the global North, databanks and research centres supported by the wealth of European and North American powers. This hegemonic position is not just a matter of the wealth of the global North. Our world is still shaped by a long colonial history in which white upper class men are at the top of social hierarchy, most disciplines give disproportionate significance to the experiences, histories and achievements of this one group.

3. Decolonising is about rethinking, reframing and reconstructing the current curriculum in order to make it better, and more inclusive. It is about expanding our notions of good literature so it doesn't always elevate one voice, one experience, and one way of being in the world. It is about considering how different frameworks, traditions and knowledge projects can inform each other, how multiple voices can be heard, and how new perspectives emerge from mutual learning.

4. Decolonising is not just about bringing in minority ethnic writers and texts, but also how we read 'traditional mainstream' texts. Decolonising is far more nuanced than just replacing authors, and it is more than just the topics covered in a course. It concerns not only what is taught and how it is critiqued, but how it is taught, which gives rise to an understanding of decolonisation that addresses how academic literacies are experienced.

5. Decolonising means identifying ways in which the university structurally reproduces colonial hierarchies; confronting, challenging and rejecting the status quo; and reimagining them and putting alternatives into practice for the benefit of our academic integrity and our social viability.

6. Decolonising the curriculum means creating spaces and resources for a dialogue among all members of the university on how to imagine and envision all cultures and knowledge systems in the curriculum, and with respect to what is being taught and how it frames the world.

7. Decolonisation is not a project over which one group can claim sole custodianship. Non-white and white academics and students are in this together. This will involve conscious, deliberate, non-hypocritical and diligent interest by both non-white and white members of the university in all knowledge systems, cultures, peoples and languages.

8. Decolonising requires sustained collaboration, discussion and experimentation among groups of teachers and students, who themselves have power to make things happen on the ground and think about what might be done differently. The change will take different forms in different universities and disciplines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

9. Decolonising is thinking about how students experience the university differently. Race, gender, disability and class all demonstrably impact student attainment and experiences of exclusion from the university environment. These are linked to the university's historic identity and mission, as well as wider structural inequalities within society.

10. Decolonising requires the courage to admit that any knowledge could and should be open to challenge and question; regardless of its original power relations. This is the only way to avoid the mere 'displacement' of one curriculum coloniser by another.

11. Decolonising is about how we can ensure a system where all those who engage with the university to make their living, or to study, can do so under conditions of dignity, respect and security.

Discipline Working Groups
Call for membership and Terms of Reference
In June 2018, Keele SU, the KPA and Keele UCU launched a joint Manifesto for Decolonising the Curriculum. At the launch meeting on June 7th it was agreed that this activity would be best developed via working groups, involving both staff and students, in each discipline areas.
Terms of reference

1. To drive forward the Decolonise Keele project at each discipline level

2. Analyse the current structure and content of your programmes and make recommendations for change, i.e. how to decolonise your programmes. Specifically to gather evidence, ideas and suggestions around the following questions:

1. In what ways does the structure/content of your programme(s)/course(s) reflect colonial/ imperialist/Eurocentric bias?

2. What are the key texts/authors that have been written out of your discipline/programme(s)/course(s)?

3. What would a decolonised module/course look like in your discipline?

4. To report progress to the Decolonise Keele Network Steering Group.

5. To present/showcase your progress and ideas to the Decolonise Keele Network programme of workshops and/or future teach-ins

Constitution

At least one student - ideally three, one UG, PGT and one PhD

At least one member of staff, ideally two, one BME member and one non-BME.

To be student led

Frequency of meetings
Monthly or more frequently if appropriate. The first joint meeting of the groups will be on Wednesday, 12 December 2018, 1-3 pm.
Raewyn Connell's thoughts on Decolonising the Curriculum Trunette R Joseph's: Decolonsing the Curriculum; Transforming the University: A Discursive Perspective
Decolonising the Curriculum in Theory and Practice (Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, Cambridge, seminar series 2016-17 with links to talks and blogs)
Decolonising the Academy, Responsibilities, Representation and Progress: University of Birmingham School of History and Cultures: second year student invites us to ask searching & sometimes difficult questions University of Sussex, Module details: "Decolonsing the Curriculum Literature and Theory of the Global South"Decolonising Higher Education - An Interview with Professor Paul Gilroy Blog from the London School of Economics: Contesting Coloniality in International Relations Reading
National Student Stories: Cambridge takes steps to Decolonise the Curriculum

Bheki R. Mngomezulu & Sakhile Hadebe (2018) What Would the Decolonisation of a Political Science Curriculum Entail? Lessons to be Learnt From the East African Experience at the Federal University of East Africa, Politikon, 45:1, 66-80, DOI: 10.1080/02589346.2018.1418205
https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/articles/why-is-my-curriculum-white-decolonising-the-academy https://www.leicesterunion.com/liberated https://soasunion.org/education/educationalpriorities/https://allinbritain.org/decolonising-the-curriculum-whose-knowledge-is-it-anyway/https://rmfoxford.wordpress.com/

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Keele decolonising the curriculum network

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Decolonization involves identifying colonial systems, structures and relationships, and working to challenge those systems. It is not "integration" or simply the token inclusion of the intellectual achievements of non-white cultures.

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We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site.

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A. Founded in 2017, The USC Annenberg Center for Third Space Thinking is a new, innovative research center dedicated to equipping businesses and nonprofit organizations with the critical soft skills needed to thrive in a communication-at-the-center world.
Q. What is the mission of the Center?
A. The mission of the Center is to empower aspiring leaders with the essential hard-edged soft skills required to make more intelligent decisions in today's complex world.
Q. Why was the Center created?
A. The Center was created in response to the growing demand for soft skills development in the workplace. It's the go-to resource for anyone interested in using soft skills to improve individual and organizational performance in a period of high-velocity and widespread change.
Q. What programs does the Center offer?
A. The Center conducts executive leadership development through customized Third Space experiences and Boot Camps; community empowerment programs for underserved communities; and college courses that equip students with the essential soft skills they need to succeed. We also are dedicated to conducting applied research to help people succeed in their careers.
Q. What makes the Center unique?
A: We are university-based which provides us constant access to the latest research and Millennial thinking. We are global, partnering with companies, philanthropic organizations and NGOs around the word. We teach Third Space over the course of an individual's professional life from high schools, community colleges, universities to their careers in corporations, non-profits and government. Finally, because of our location, we are well positioned to partner with leading industries on the West Coast, including entertainment, media, venture capital and startups.
Q. What is the Third Space?
A. Beyond the important, but limited, conventional approaches and skills of business and engineering lies the third space of communication-centric thinking and its critical soft skills that experts agree are in high demand, but grossly under supplied in the market.
Q. What is Third Space Thinking?
A. Third Space Thinking is a new, research-based communication-driven approach to seizing opportunities and solving problems. It is both a unique mindset and practical toolbox.
Q. How does Third Space Thinking help individuals and organizations make better decisions?
A. Third Space Thinking uses a communication-based methodology to frame and solve problems through the lens of five essential soft skills. The Center has developed a unique mobile app that allows users to solve problems using the five attributes and connect them with a community of like-minded Third Space Thinkers.
Q. What are soft skills?
A. Soft skills, in contrast to the hard skills of science, technology, engineering and math, (STEM) are a group of interpersonal, communication and leadership skills that today are even more important than technical skills, yet are grossly under supplied in the market.
Q. What are hard-edged soft skills?
A. At the Center we put the hard edge on soft skills. We apply greater rigor to defining, measuring and teaching interconnected critical skills and talents that previously have not been available.
Q. What are the most important soft skills?
A. Through our research, we uncovered five critical competencies or soft skills required for professional success - Adaptability, Cultural Competency, Empathy, Intellectual Curiosity and 360-Degree Thinking. They are the counterpart to STEM, which we term ACE-IT.
Q. How did you arrive at the five core soft skill competencies?
A. Third Space Thinking's five core competencies are based on four years of in-depth, multi-method research around the world, including conversation with 75 global business leaders, in partnership with Korn-Ferry, and combined with deep analytics drawn from other top sources including, McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and LinkedIn.
Q. Why are soft skills so important and why have they been overlooked?
A. To succeed in today's complex environment, aspiring leaders need both hard and soft skills, yet colleges and universities have become overly focused on teaching hard skills. Today's employers seek employees who have the 'people' skills required for success in today's complex world. But they are harder to define, measure and evaluate.
Q. Can soft skills be taught?
A. Absolutely! Over the past four years we have taught Third Space Thinking to hundreds of students and collected best practices. We have experimented with free standing courses for undergraduate students, and other courses teaching Third Space Thinking modules for graduate and undergraduate students. We teach Third Space Thinking over the course of people's professional trajectory from high school, to community colleges, universities, and through corporate leadership development. Beyond traditional lectures, we employ scenarios, role playing, site visits and other learning experiences.
Q. Can soft skills be measured?
A. Yes. At the Center, we have developed a proprietary tool called the Third Space Thinking Assessment that measures the current proficiencies of individuals and teams on each of the five core competencies or soft skills. The assessment is exclusively available to participants at the Center's Third Space Boot Camps.
Q. Who is the Center's team?
A. The Third Space Thinking initiative was launched by Prof. Ernest J. Wilson III, Ph.D., who served two terms as the Walter Annenberg Chair in Communication and Dean of the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. He is Director of the Center, and also a professor at Jiao Tung University in Shanghai. His articles on Third Space Thinking have appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Inc., and he has lectured globally. He developed Third Space Thinking from his experiences at the White House, Capitol Hill, NGOs and many corporations. Shellee Smith serves as the Center's executive director and also manages Annenberg's executive education programs with the World Bank, the China Development Research Foundation, and media companies. Our team includes professionals from large corporations including, Sony and Nike, startups, and from multiple industries.
Q. How is the Center funded?
A. The Center is partially funded by grants from the Annenberg Foundation, the Annenberg Trust, other donors and through its program fees from leadership programs. We continue to seek additional partners who share our mission.

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Our Mission To empower youth to executives with the essential communication and problem-solving skills required to thrive throughout the lifecycle of leadership. Bringing Our Mission To Life Through four years of in-depth research, The Center for Third Space Thinking uncovered five critical competencies or soft skills that when successfully combined can complement and extend the two dominant, more traditional strategic approaches offered by engineering and business thinking, in other words a "Third Space".

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Your undergraduate education needs to be as multidimensional as you are. It should challenge you academically, expose you to a diversity of global cultures, and enable you to develop the broad knowledge and practical skills needed to solve the most complex issues of our time.

Minerva is intentionally designed to develop your intellect across multiple disciplines, as well as critical life skills, professional capabilities, and key aspects of your personal character.

Though extensive research on the science of learning proves lectures to be ineffective, even top universities still cling to this outdated instruction method. At Minerva, every class is a small seminar designed to keep you actively engaged, improving your grasp of practical knowledge, while deepening your understanding of specific subject matter.

This platform for profound intellectual growth is complemented by an array of experiential learning programs in each residential location, where you practice applying skills in new contexts.

This film, shot on location in Buenos Aires, Argentina, demonstrates the thoughtful dedication Minerva students bring to living and learning in each of seven world cities. With every semester, students engage with a vast array of civic partners to gain meaningful experience by working on challenges relevant to different regions and sectors.

Video: Andrew Hida and Diego Alejandro Suarez/Blink

While in Berlin, Germany, Minerva students worked in collaboration with Kiron, a local NGO, to develop educational programming for recent immigrants. The project team sought to understand this underserved population, then develop and implement a meaningful solution for challenges they face. The outcome was the production of the first in-house MOOC at Kiron.

Minerva students Joy Okoro, Nigeria and Lucy Chen, China, embrace following a co-curricular event.

Photo: Brian Frank

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This film, shot on location in Buenos Aires, Argentina, demonstrates the thoughtful dedication Minerva students bring to living and learning in each of seven world cities. With every semester, students engage with a vast array of civic partners to gain meaningful experience by working on challenges relevant to different regions and sectors.

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Ashoka builds and cultivates a community of change leaders who transform institutions and cultures so they support changemaking for the good of society. Find out more about us, and join the worldwide network of changemakers.

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Coalition for Life Transformative Education

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Coalition for Life Transformative Education

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Our Mission

The Coalition for Life-Transformative Education is a community of university leaders who are committed to experimenting individually and collectively, sharing best practices, and collaborating to start a movement across America to ensure that all students who enroll in college not only complete a degree, but also have a transforming educational experience that enhances their well-being and work engagement throughout life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Coalition for Life-Transformative Education is a community of university leaders who are committed to experimenting individually and collectively, sharing best practices, and collaborating to start a movement across America to ensure that all students who enroll in college not only complete a degree, but also have a transforming educational experience that enhances their well-being and work engagement throughout life.