PUC-Rio Socio-environmental Agenda: New Steps …
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the entire community, inside and outside the university) can feel comfortable inside
the campus, thus offering support for the achievement of the objectives.
Another finding that reinforces the state-of-the-art in practices associated with
sustainable development, regards the inclusion of SDG in the curriculum, research
and communication of institutions. It means that, although HEI leaders acknowledge
their importance, such inclusions have not yet been implemented and/or designed.
Whereas HEI play a critical role in promoting SDG, and the efforts of their leaders are
vital to the achievement of such goals, there is a conceptual challenge for academics in
the future: elaborating an interdisciplinary curriculum that allows for performance
in projects of sustainability, while, at the same time, guarantees its capacity for
employability.
Finally, the success of an institutional sustainability agenda also depends on the
capacity to coordinate and implement projects not only conducted within their physical, educational and management structures, but outside such institutions, in the
community-at-large and in society, to achieve the necessary transformation as defined
by the goals of the agenda. Ideally, these projects will be designed and executed in
cooperation with students, teachers, institutional staff and the community, via interdisciplinary teaching, research and extension activities, whenever possible, thereby
increasing awareness, community engagement and transformational capacity of measures for institutional sustainability.
3 Obstacles and Opportunities for Implementing
the Socio-environmental Agenda of PUC-Rio
PUC-Rio’s experience with the 2009 Environmental Agenda (now Socioenvironmental Agenda) highlights the interrelationship between the university’s
capacity of governance for sustainability, the incorporation of concern for sustainability in education, the production of knowledge in this area (through research
activities) and the ability to find solutions and execute projects that increase sustainability inside and outside the university.
An example of this interrelation is observed when including different agents in
constructing a pact for the sustainability of the university when building the agenda,
which is decisive for expanding community awareness and engagement, especially
that of students, with whom it had a positive impact—not only on the legitimacy of
the management tool, but also on the students’ interest in the subject of sustainability
in the different areas of knowledge, thereby creating a clear demand for subjects and
research.
As witnessed in the Agenda, such a demand has the potential to stimulate and
renew the supply of subjects that reflect concern for the environment. The demand
for such content, as well as the student movement surrounding proposals of solutions
and projects to reach the goals of the Agenda, during the very process of its drafting,
has enormous potential to encourage research in the area. This would be focused not
741
the entire community, inside and outside the university) can feel comfortable inside
the campus, thus offering support for the achievement of the objectives.
Another finding that reinforces the state-of-the-art in practices associated with
sustainable development, regards the inclusion of SDG in the curriculum, research
and communication of institutions. It means that, although HEI leaders acknowledge
their importance, such inclusions have not yet been implemented and/or designed.
Whereas HEI play a critical role in promoting SDG, and the efforts of their leaders are
vital to the achievement of such goals, there is a conceptual challenge for academics in
the future: elaborating an interdisciplinary curriculum that allows for performance
in projects of sustainability, while, at the same time, guarantees its capacity for
employability.
Finally, the success of an institutional sustainability agenda also depends on the
capacity to coordinate and implement projects not only conducted within their physical, educational and management structures, but outside such institutions, in the
community-at-large and in society, to achieve the necessary transformation as defined
by the goals of the agenda. Ideally, these projects will be designed and executed in
cooperation with students, teachers, institutional staff and the community, via interdisciplinary teaching, research and extension activities, whenever possible, thereby
increasing awareness, community engagement and transformational capacity of measures for institutional sustainability.
3 Obstacles and Opportunities for Implementing
the Socio-environmental Agenda of PUC-Rio
PUC-Rio’s experience with the 2009 Environmental Agenda (now Socioenvironmental Agenda) highlights the interrelationship between the university’s
capacity of governance for sustainability, the incorporation of concern for sustainability in education, the production of knowledge in this area (through research
activities) and the ability to find solutions and execute projects that increase sustainability inside and outside the university.
An example of this interrelation is observed when including different agents in
constructing a pact for the sustainability of the university when building the agenda,
which is decisive for expanding community awareness and engagement, especially
that of students, with whom it had a positive impact—not only on the legitimacy of
the management tool, but also on the students’ interest in the subject of sustainability
in the different areas of knowledge, thereby creating a clear demand for subjects and
research.
As witnessed in the Agenda, such a demand has the potential to stimulate and
renew the supply of subjects that reflect concern for the environment. The demand
for such content, as well as the student movement surrounding proposals of solutions
and projects to reach the goals of the Agenda, during the very process of its drafting,
has enormous potential to encourage research in the area. This would be focused not