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D. Dumitru
example, courage with sustainability, especially with regard to action toward sustainability (Sidibe 2016); critical thinking as a spur for courage, particularly intellectual
courage (Paul and Elder 2020), and as a condition for education for sustainable development (Straková and Cimermanová 2018; Concina 2019; Thomas 2009); or CT is
simply connected to sustainability (Minott et al. 2019) or directed towards society
in the form of critical action (Barnett 1997). However, it is hard to find all three,
courage, CT and sustainability, in one place in the literature.
Moreover, for society to benefit from courage, CT, and sustainable behavior,
education must be involved. And not just any education, but specifically higher education. It may be argued that the beginning of transformation lies in higher education.
Higher education should not be allowed to escape its formidable responsibility—to
act (morally) toward sustainable development.
It is necessary first to establish the definitions of some concepts that will facilitate the discussion of a complicated topic which may seem somewhat counterintuitive, viz. the relation between critical thinking and courage. After defining the main
concepts, the connection between engaging in critical thinking and the development
of courage and fortitude will be demonstrated.
What is the link between these concepts and sustainability? World-wide, the notion
of sustainability is currently still in its early stages, confronted with unjustified skepticism and abusive refutations. Unverified rejection of scientific evidence creates a
dangerous situation should it also be endorsed by political leaders or political–decisional bodies. When governments deny obvious facts and withdraw from organizations fighting against climate change, the result is delay in the implementation of
urgent measures to stop climatic deterioration and social turmoil.
Reasoning and critical thinking are conditions for action for sustainability. Higher
education should have as its primary goal the development of these skills. Moreover,
sustainability itself should be included in all educational programs as a result of the
current situation in which everybody’s contribution is needed. No higher education
institution should evade its responsibility as an initiator of change. For this reason,
higher education institutions (HEIs) should also be responsible for the fulfillment of
the Sustainability Goals. Goal 4 addresses education directly, through target 4.7: “by
2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development.” The SDGs are connected to the 2030 Agenda (Shulla
et al. 2020), which shows continuity and hope, at least at the level of world-wide
statements and declarations.
The question is: when does change start? Where does transformation begin? It
will be argued here that the process should begin at the top, with higher education,
the last link of the education chain, chronologically speaking, but the first in line
for change. The most flexible link is HE because it is the most research-oriented
sector and it should embed new knowledge in its curricula. Change should start from
higher education. Consequently, it is the responsibility of universities to implement
the SDGs, ensuring the acquisition of sustainable development knowledge and skills.
D. Dumitru
example, courage with sustainability, especially with regard to action toward sustainability (Sidibe 2016); critical thinking as a spur for courage, particularly intellectual
courage (Paul and Elder 2020), and as a condition for education for sustainable development (Straková and Cimermanová 2018; Concina 2019; Thomas 2009); or CT is
simply connected to sustainability (Minott et al. 2019) or directed towards society
in the form of critical action (Barnett 1997). However, it is hard to find all three,
courage, CT and sustainability, in one place in the literature.
Moreover, for society to benefit from courage, CT, and sustainable behavior,
education must be involved. And not just any education, but specifically higher education. It may be argued that the beginning of transformation lies in higher education.
Higher education should not be allowed to escape its formidable responsibility—to
act (morally) toward sustainable development.
It is necessary first to establish the definitions of some concepts that will facilitate the discussion of a complicated topic which may seem somewhat counterintuitive, viz. the relation between critical thinking and courage. After defining the main
concepts, the connection between engaging in critical thinking and the development
of courage and fortitude will be demonstrated.
What is the link between these concepts and sustainability? World-wide, the notion
of sustainability is currently still in its early stages, confronted with unjustified skepticism and abusive refutations. Unverified rejection of scientific evidence creates a
dangerous situation should it also be endorsed by political leaders or political–decisional bodies. When governments deny obvious facts and withdraw from organizations fighting against climate change, the result is delay in the implementation of
urgent measures to stop climatic deterioration and social turmoil.
Reasoning and critical thinking are conditions for action for sustainability. Higher
education should have as its primary goal the development of these skills. Moreover,
sustainability itself should be included in all educational programs as a result of the
current situation in which everybody’s contribution is needed. No higher education
institution should evade its responsibility as an initiator of change. For this reason,
higher education institutions (HEIs) should also be responsible for the fulfillment of
the Sustainability Goals. Goal 4 addresses education directly, through target 4.7: “by
2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development.” The SDGs are connected to the 2030 Agenda (Shulla
et al. 2020), which shows continuity and hope, at least at the level of world-wide
statements and declarations.
The question is: when does change start? Where does transformation begin? It
will be argued here that the process should begin at the top, with higher education,
the last link of the education chain, chronologically speaking, but the first in line
for change. The most flexible link is HE because it is the most research-oriented
sector and it should embed new knowledge in its curricula. Change should start from
higher education. Consequently, it is the responsibility of universities to implement
the SDGs, ensuring the acquisition of sustainable development knowledge and skills.