Network launched to increase Education for Sustainable Development

A new network is being launched in May for staff who are already practising education for sustainable development (ESD) within their courses to share their experience with others, and for those who want support in embedding ESD in their programmes. The event is also open to students at UCL who want to contribute to UCL’s ambitions to increase ESD.

A UCL ESD Steering Group, made up of academic and professional services staff from across the institution was set up to help progress UCL's commitment that ‘every student will have the opportunity to study and be involved in sustainability by 2024’. As part of this work, the group established an ESD network to help share best practise from across the university and prevent duplication of work.  

Professor Jane Holder (UCL Laws), Chair of the UCL ESD Steering Group, said: “Through the Steering Group we have discovered a vast array of exceptional work already taking place across the institution to embed sustainable development into the curriculum, our induction programmes and the provision of extra-curricular opportunities for our students.

“We hope the network will provide staff with the opportunity to share their innovative examples of ESD so we can learn from each other.”

The group has defined ESD as encouraging the development of competencies and skills through curricular and extra-curricular activities that will enable students to address the challenges of sustainable development in their lives beyond UCL, such as critical thinking and collaboration, and supporting the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Goals frame the challenges facing the world, from the need for quality universal education and gender equality, to the climate crisis and pollution.

Hundreds of UCL’s taught modules are already addressing one or more of the SDGs. They include: an MSc course exploring how technologies such as AI can help and hinder efforts to achieve the SDGs; a master’s module examining how relationships between sustainability and environmental justice are helping students across disciplines to understand laws and policies relevant to sustainable and fair land use; and the Faculty of Population Health Sciences’ Climate Change & Health module.

Professor Kathleen Armour, UCL Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience), who will speak at the network’s the first meeting, added: “ESD is another way that we can further enhance the employability of our students.

“It is essential that we equip them with the knowledge and skills that will be increasingly demanded by employers operating in a world facing complex challenges, from the climate crisis and environmental degradation to inequalities and biodiversity loss.”

At the event, Professor Holder will introduce UCL's commitment and definition of ESD. Dr Anne Preston (UCL Arena/UCL East) will then lead a Group exercise for attendees to share how they, or their faculty has already embedded ESD in their curriculum. The event will finish with a group discussion, led by Professor Doug Bourn (UCL IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education & Society), on how participants would like the Network to operate. A student representative will also highlight the growing importance of ESD with a university education.

The UCL ESD Steering Group was established in 2022 by Sustainable UCL and the UCL SDGs Initiative to increase the quantity and quality of ESD at UCL. The Group has also developed a UCL Arena toolkit to support staff who wish to embed ESD into their modules. This is due to be introduced at the Network event on 4 May.

The ESD Network launch will be a hybrid event on Thursday 4 May 2023, 2-3pm. The in-person event at C3.15, 20 Bedford Way, WC1H 0AL will be followed by refreshments and the opportunity to network informally.

Register to attend

Related links

• Sustainable UCL
• UCL SDGs Initiative
• UCL Arena