Green Gown Awards 2015 – Learning and Skills - University of Wales, Trinity Saint David - Finalist

An Inspired Education

The Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) is a virtual institute, which provides a focus for sustainable development activities across UWTSD. 

INSPIRE was founded in 2012 and works across academic and support structures to deliver on the University's strategic priorities and embed sustainable development through its learning, teaching, curricula, campus, community and culture.  

To that end, INSPIRE has led a university-wide initiative to embed ‘Education for sustainable development and global citizenship’ (ESDGC) throughout its dual sector education programmes, both new and existing.  Making ESDGC a centralised conversation has stimulated the exchange of ideas and shared experiences between academics.  

Academics have made connections that might otherwise have not been made between ESDGC and their core discipline.  It has encouraged academics to consider publishing ESDGC conference and journal papers. It has also lead to the development of research initiatives and applications for funding.

Top 3 learnings

1. Make ESDGC a strategic priority and adopt a university-wide approach
2. Ensure the emphasis is not just on the content of the modules and programmes of study offered but on the entire learning and teaching experience
3. Employ a ‘sustainability conscious learning’ approach to enable students to have a clear understanding of the impacts of their future actions on the physical, social and economic environments.  

Videos

• An Inspired Education (click to hide)