Presenting an Interdisciplinary Teaching
Approach to Involve University Students
in Issues of Sustainable Development
Franziska Körner, Henning Strubelt, and Hartwig Haase
1 Introduction
In 2015, all United Nations member states agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to tackle the challenges our world is facing like the climate crisis,
hunger, social inequality and loss of biodiversity which will harm living and future
generations, if no action is taken (United Nations n. d.). At its core are the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call for action.
The fourth goal Quality Education aims to guarantee “inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. One of its
subordinate targets (4.7.) is to “ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and
skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through
Education for Sustainable Development” (United Nations n. d.).
Even before the Sustainable Development Goals were formulated and passed,
the importance of Education for Sustainable Development was highlighted by the
UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development World Decade 2005–2014 and
the following Global Action Program. In its implementation scheme for the Education for Sustainable Development World Decade, UNESCO states that Education
for Sustainable Development “is for everyone, at whatever stage of life they are. It
takes place, therefore, within a perspective of lifelong learning, engaging all possible
learning spaces, formal, non-formal and informal, from early childhood to adult
life. [Education for Sustainable Development] calls for a re-orientation of educational approaches – curriculum and content, pedagogy and examinations” (UNESCO
2005). Since Education for Sustainable Development must be integrated at all levels
F. Körner (B) · H. Strubelt · H. Haase
Institute of Logistics and Material Handling Systems, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg,
Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
e-mail: franziska.koerner@ovgu.de
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting
the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_5
69
Approach to Involve University Students
in Issues of Sustainable Development
Franziska Körner, Henning Strubelt, and Hartwig Haase
1 Introduction
In 2015, all United Nations member states agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to tackle the challenges our world is facing like the climate crisis,
hunger, social inequality and loss of biodiversity which will harm living and future
generations, if no action is taken (United Nations n. d.). At its core are the 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a call for action.
The fourth goal Quality Education aims to guarantee “inclusive and equitable
quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. One of its
subordinate targets (4.7.) is to “ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and
skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through
Education for Sustainable Development” (United Nations n. d.).
Even before the Sustainable Development Goals were formulated and passed,
the importance of Education for Sustainable Development was highlighted by the
UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development World Decade 2005–2014 and
the following Global Action Program. In its implementation scheme for the Education for Sustainable Development World Decade, UNESCO states that Education
for Sustainable Development “is for everyone, at whatever stage of life they are. It
takes place, therefore, within a perspective of lifelong learning, engaging all possible
learning spaces, formal, non-formal and informal, from early childhood to adult
life. [Education for Sustainable Development] calls for a re-orientation of educational approaches – curriculum and content, pedagogy and examinations” (UNESCO
2005). Since Education for Sustainable Development must be integrated at all levels
F. Körner (B) · H. Strubelt · H. Haase
Institute of Logistics and Material Handling Systems, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg,
Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
e-mail: franziska.koerner@ovgu.de
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities, Sustainability and Society: Supporting
the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, World Sustainability Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63399-8_5
69