Educating for Sustainability ISCN Report

At the World Economic Forum, the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) in collaboration with the Global University Leader Forum (GULF) shared exemplary campus sustainability case studies provided by 30 of the world’s leading universities all focused on educating for sustainability.  

In 2016 we saw the ratification of the Paris Agreement and global acceptance of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address issues that touch all of society and all sectors. “In our opinion, it is time for the academic community to seriously rethink and redefine its role in society and in sustainable development efforts.” say René Schwarzenbach, ISCN Board President, and Guido Schidt-Traub, Executive Director, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) in a co-authored foreword for the report. “The global higher education sector has a tremendous opportunity to lead the world in sustainable development research, promotion of solutions, and support for implementation.”

By including sustainable development in the strategic goals for all their activities, universities can create an environment that promotes holistic education of all students. To complement professional and disciplinary education, they can expose students to the practical problems that must be solved in order to achieve the SDGs. They can foster the acquisition of critical, systems-oriented thinking as well as the ability to communicate with various stakeholders within and outside academia.

View the press release and download the report