Nanjing, China 2019

Track chairs: Sandra Caeiro  and He Xu

Different types of research and practices were presented to implement Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at different geographical and educational contexts many at Higher Education level, but not only. At Higher Education (HE) level, integration of ESD teaching was presented according to a transdisciplinary way and through creative problem solving methods. Still at HE level it was discuss how students are embedding sustainability and the need to engaged them as active participants in the process. In addition success examples of implementation  of sustainable development empowerment in informal settings and environmental ethics education at elementary school were given.

It was highlighted the importance of continuing the educational initiatives at any level of formal or informal learning or type of practices (from curricula, campus operation, external community, among others), but the main challenge is still to evaluate the real impact of these initiatives, and how we are really reaching changing to more sustainable behaviors.

Messina, Italy 2018

Education for sustainability:

Most presentations about ESD practices at Higher Education Institutions (HEI) – Their role was reinforced, as well as implementation of holistic approaches, and the need to institualize ESD not only at University level but also at governmental and policy levels. Nevertheless bottom–up initiative were presented.

Also highlighted:

• - Importance of non-formal initiatives (social media, like Facebook) and formal programs to integrate ESD. Importance of lay knowledge
• - Need of appropriate link between pedagogical tools to fulfil competences to ESD, e.g. gaming, system thinking and others
• - Need the use of tools to evaluate effectiveness of Educational programs or holistic approaches that allows ways of improvement
• - Continuing the offer of new programs or courses incorporated in formal programs, also with links with external stakeholders

Bogotá Conference 2017

Track 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 ... (read more here)

Sandra Caeiro