Sustainability Concept (Whole-Institution Approach) …
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are also researchers at all other KU faculties who work in the field of sustainability.
On average, 10% of KU research projects are explicit sustainability projects and
30% contribute to a sustainable development. The university is currently developing
indicators for the field of research (projects, publications).
From 2010 to 2015, there was an interdisciplinary research training group on
sustainability for environment, humans and society. The research results of the group
were published in a final volume (Altmeppen et al. 2017). The KU Center for Flight
and Migration and the KU Center for Latin American Studies dedicate their research,
teaching and transfer practice to sustainable development. Currently, the KU plans
the establishment of a research-oriented center for sustainable development.
3.2.3 Action Area ‘Teaching’
Based on the UNESCO Global Action Programme ESD, the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German UNESCO Commission passed the National Action Plan ESD (Nationale Plattform Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung 2017) in 2017. This paper set down action areas, objectives and
measures for all fields of education including the higher educational sector. The aim
is to contribute to achieving the SDG 4 quality education, and in particular 4.7 ESD.
Today’s students will be the decision makers and change agents of the future—which
is why it is especially important to raise their awareness for the challenges connected
to sustainable development and enable them to actively participate in this development. In this context, a firm, structural implementation of ESD in higher education
institutions is paramount.
At the KU, the interdisciplinary Master’s degree program ESD was conceptualized
as early as in 2010. The program is unique, at least in the German-speaking world, and
trains future change agents who are enabled to conceptualize, implement and evaluate
educational processes in ESD and carry out research in the field (https://www.ku.
de/studienangebot/geo-bne-ma). The interdisciplinary lecture series on sustainable
development, which came into being through dialog between the members of the
above-mentioned research training group, is offered at the KU since 2011. During
the last few years, the KU has added further modules and study specializations
on sustainability to its curriculum, e.g. in the subjects of Geography, Politics, Social
Work and Business and Economics. The degree program in Tourism and (Sustainable)
Regional Development has strengthened its focus on sustainability in 2019. Project
modules enable students to transfer sustainable innovations into the region. In field
trips and internships that are either completed in sustainable places of learning and
sustainable companies or are dealing with the topic, KU students get the chance
to broaden their horizon with regard to sustainability aspects. Furthermore, the KU
conceptualized a sustainability certificate worth 20 ECTS credits in 2019. It gives all
KU students the possibility to approach questions connected to sustainability more
313
are also researchers at all other KU faculties who work in the field of sustainability.
On average, 10% of KU research projects are explicit sustainability projects and
30% contribute to a sustainable development. The university is currently developing
indicators for the field of research (projects, publications).
From 2010 to 2015, there was an interdisciplinary research training group on
sustainability for environment, humans and society. The research results of the group
were published in a final volume (Altmeppen et al. 2017). The KU Center for Flight
and Migration and the KU Center for Latin American Studies dedicate their research,
teaching and transfer practice to sustainable development. Currently, the KU plans
the establishment of a research-oriented center for sustainable development.
3.2.3 Action Area ‘Teaching’
Based on the UNESCO Global Action Programme ESD, the Federal
Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German UNESCO Commission passed the National Action Plan ESD (Nationale Plattform Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung 2017) in 2017. This paper set down action areas, objectives and
measures for all fields of education including the higher educational sector. The aim
is to contribute to achieving the SDG 4 quality education, and in particular 4.7 ESD.
Today’s students will be the decision makers and change agents of the future—which
is why it is especially important to raise their awareness for the challenges connected
to sustainable development and enable them to actively participate in this development. In this context, a firm, structural implementation of ESD in higher education
institutions is paramount.
At the KU, the interdisciplinary Master’s degree program ESD was conceptualized
as early as in 2010. The program is unique, at least in the German-speaking world, and
trains future change agents who are enabled to conceptualize, implement and evaluate
educational processes in ESD and carry out research in the field (https://www.ku.
de/studienangebot/geo-bne-ma). The interdisciplinary lecture series on sustainable
development, which came into being through dialog between the members of the
above-mentioned research training group, is offered at the KU since 2011. During
the last few years, the KU has added further modules and study specializations
on sustainability to its curriculum, e.g. in the subjects of Geography, Politics, Social
Work and Business and Economics. The degree program in Tourism and (Sustainable)
Regional Development has strengthened its focus on sustainability in 2019. Project
modules enable students to transfer sustainable innovations into the region. In field
trips and internships that are either completed in sustainable places of learning and
sustainable companies or are dealing with the topic, KU students get the chance
to broaden their horizon with regard to sustainability aspects. Furthermore, the KU
conceptualized a sustainability certificate worth 20 ECTS credits in 2019. It gives all
KU students the possibility to approach questions connected to sustainability more