Sustainability Practices: The Role of University in Forming …
387
Table 1 Strategic
perspectives to inform
education and learning for
sustainable
development—UNESCO
(2005)
Socio-cultural perspectives
Human rights
Peace and human security
Gender equality
Cultural diversity and
intercultural understanding
Health
HIV/AIDS
Governance
Environmental perspectives
Natural resources (water,
energy, agriculture,
biodiversity)
Climate change
Rural development
Sustainable urbanisation
Disaster prevention and
mitigation
Economic perspectives
Poverty reduction
Corporate responsibility and
accountability
Market economy
Souce UNESCO (2005)
adopt the standards set out in the reports, highlighting their benefits to the HEI and
to society.
The connections among these perspectives should serve as information for education and learning of sustainable development. However, a major difficulty encountered when promoting this type of practice is the lack of tradition and established
habits, reflected in a strong resistance to change (Lozano et al. 2013a). Therefore,
reform must involve discussion between teachers, employees students and the university community at large which results in a change of culture. That is, a change
in the day to day lifestyle, habits and environmental perception of each stakeholder
(Dyball et al. 2015).
Alternatively students can be training in sustainability from a flexible curriculum
focused on solving problems and studying the environment through the use of wellestablished educational techniques. Building on this, Lozano (2014) reports that the
evolution towards more sustainable societies implies that we move from reactive
responses of immediate problems to a more proactive approach on how to avoid possible future problems and prepare for potential eventualities. That is, real problems
can be transformed into learning laboratories, where new theories, methodologies and
tools are developed that challenge the status quo in order to solve today’s problems
with tomorrow’s ideas. This is an ongoing process, which requires constant perse-
387
Table 1 Strategic
perspectives to inform
education and learning for
sustainable
development—UNESCO
(2005)
Socio-cultural perspectives
Human rights
Peace and human security
Gender equality
Cultural diversity and
intercultural understanding
Health
HIV/AIDS
Governance
Environmental perspectives
Natural resources (water,
energy, agriculture,
biodiversity)
Climate change
Rural development
Sustainable urbanisation
Disaster prevention and
mitigation
Economic perspectives
Poverty reduction
Corporate responsibility and
accountability
Market economy
Souce UNESCO (2005)
adopt the standards set out in the reports, highlighting their benefits to the HEI and
to society.
The connections among these perspectives should serve as information for education and learning of sustainable development. However, a major difficulty encountered when promoting this type of practice is the lack of tradition and established
habits, reflected in a strong resistance to change (Lozano et al. 2013a). Therefore,
reform must involve discussion between teachers, employees students and the university community at large which results in a change of culture. That is, a change
in the day to day lifestyle, habits and environmental perception of each stakeholder
(Dyball et al. 2015).
Alternatively students can be training in sustainability from a flexible curriculum
focused on solving problems and studying the environment through the use of wellestablished educational techniques. Building on this, Lozano (2014) reports that the
evolution towards more sustainable societies implies that we move from reactive
responses of immediate problems to a more proactive approach on how to avoid possible future problems and prepare for potential eventualities. That is, real problems
can be transformed into learning laboratories, where new theories, methodologies and
tools are developed that challenge the status quo in order to solve today’s problems
with tomorrow’s ideas. This is an ongoing process, which requires constant perse-