Past Conference: 1c Role of academia (advocacy and education in sustainable development science)

Different types of research were presented to apply Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) many at Higher Education level. Experiences vary from including sustainability practices in hard sciences courses (like algebra), to courses of Circular Economy in formal programs. Several other experiences were also presented with successful examples of academia going outside the University halls, so students and teachers can learn, educate and/or collaborate with the outside stakeholders from local government, private sector to local community (learning with the lay knowledge). This outside initiatives can also contribute to increase student’s curiosity that seems to be decreasing in the recent and technological societies. Other studies were also presented related to explore sustainability knowledge acquisition at individual, institution and country level or related with working with older people to improve their sustainability literacy. Older people are a link with the young (grandparents are having an even more important responsibility as educators of grandchildren…), so these initiatives can have an important role within ESD. One final study evaluated in a European country case study that ESD implementation in Universities is a response to society demand and not so much as government demand. On the discussion it was highlighted the importance of continuing the educational initiatives at any level of formal or informal education or type of practices (from curricula, campus operation, external community, among others), but main challenge is still to evaluate the real impact of these initiatives, and how we are really reaching changing behaviors and transition to more sustainable societies. Innovations, stakeholder engagement, collaboration/partnership, participatory action research, integration, are possible keywords for the next research agenda.