Daniella Tilbury

Sustainability in higher education in the Asia-Pacific: developments, challenges, and prospects

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the contributions of the Asia‐Pacific region to leading practice in sustainability in higher education (HE), as prelude and orientation to this special issue collection from different countries and regions.Design/methodology/approach – This is a critical review that includes international and regional policy contexts in sustainability and “education for sustainable development” (ESD), whilst exploring the trajectories of key initiatives across the region and considering the broader context of sustainability innovation within the HE sector.Findings – The Asia‐Pacific region offers many creative initiatives and shows considerable progress in ESD and in understanding the learning dimensions of sustainability. At the same time, it mirrors global trends in that further work is needed to promote systemic change in educational arenas, particularly in terms of strategic integration within HE institutions. The Asia‐Pacific contributions to this colle...

Education and Conservation: Lessons from an evaluation

This article presents an analysis of the lessons for programme design and management that were distilled from a recent evaluation of the Worldwide Fund for Natures (WWF) global educational programmes. The aim of the evaluation was to clarify and document the contribution that education is making to the achievement of the conservation goals of the organisation. Aspects of the findings of the evaluation are presented but these are not the focus of the article. Rather, the emphasis is on the generalisations that can be drawn from an analysis of the evaluation process and the lessons to be learnt from the findings. This emphasis affords this article a degree of currency and utility that goes beyond its immediate value to WWF and may provide ideas and, in places, a vocabulary for thinking about planning and evaluating environmental education programmes, especially within conservation groups and resource management agencies.

Uncharted waters: voyages for Education for Sustainable Development in the higher education curriculum

The need to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the higher education curriculum is well recognised in international sustainable development dialogues. However, early pioneers in this area have met with substantial obstacles and now face the prospect of attempting systemic education change in a new and difficult sector climate. This article explores the potential for engagement with the higher education curriculum by bringing ESD into its quality assurance and quality enhancement system. It builds on insights gained from a national project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, which worked in collaboration with the UK Quality Assurance Agency and a consortium of five universities. It considers the ways that ESD has entered the UK higher education sector and the potential connectivity that exists between ESD and quality. Key findings are shared from the development projects carried out in these universities, including their identification of specific quality-led pathways for embedding ESD, the differences of perspective uncovered amongst stakeholders and challenges for institutional strategy and implementation. It concludes in reflection on the need to access deeper currents of teaching and learning to make ESD a viable education proposition, as well as the potential transfer to other parts of the education and skills sector.

How is Community Education Contributing to Sustainability in Practice

Making progress toward a more sustainable world will require education programs that foster informed, empowered, and just societies and opportunities for lifelong learning. Non-formal community education is an important component of lifelong learning and is crucial to raising awareness, building partnerships, and influencing action to engage people in working for sustainability. The article presents a critical overview of current trends in community education practice and programs in Australia, and discusses their contributions to environmental and sustainability outcomes. Rather than focus on a comprehensive review of community education literature, this article presents a snapshot of the current context upon which community education practices are built and reviews programs in the areas of Community Action, Social Marketing, Interpretation and Education of Communities of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds. Realigning existing funding opportunities, building the capacity of facilitators and supporting more innovative and participatory approaches to community education are needed if existing education programs are to make a significant contribution to sustainability practice.

A United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–14) What Difference will it Make?

The launch of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (2005–2014) was accompanied by a series of high-profile events and celebratory activities across the globe, which raised awareness about the Decades objectives. Now, as the DESD approaches its mid-term, many stakeholders are asking these questions: What will change as a result of the DESD? What will be its legacy? This article reviews the explicit intentions of the Decade and explores its current and potential contributions. It raises issues about how to assess the progress in education for sustainable development (ESD) during the Decade and questions whether it is possible to effectively evaluate the Decades impact. It concludes by acknowledging that the success of the DESD will be judged not only by the UN Monitoring and Evaluation mechanisms set in place by UNESCO but also by how the diverse expectations from stakeholders are met.

Exploring Principles of Good Practice: learning from a meta-analysis of case studies on education within conservation across the WWF Network

This article identifies good practice in education within conservation by reflecting upon a recent international evaluation of the educational work of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that considered what and how education can contribute to the realization of conservation goals. The evaluation (WWF, 1999a,b) indicated that WWF was achieving a range of significant conservation and educational outcomes and impacts and also identified a number of areas for organizational development. (See also Fien, Scott, & Tilbury, 2001.) A major data source in the study was a series of case studies from thirteen countries and regions where WWF works. A meta-analysis of these case studies has identified a set of principles of “good practice” for educational activities that are strategically focused within conservation programs. This article presents these principles exemplified by illustrations from the case study data.

Today becomes tomorrow

Purpose – The present preoccupations of businesses and business educators include the increasing global debt, rising unemployment and expanding carbon footprints, and the societal and governmental pressures to minimise the impact of these challenges. Meanwhile, the urge towards technical fixes and problem solving is shaping the way that business is done today and constraining business practices for tomorrow. The repercussions for business education are serious and systemic, as these responses neglect the need to critically question, innovate and rethink business futures, through our educational processes. The purpose of this paper is to provide context and orientation to this special issue collection which showcases current thinking and practice in higher education aimed at addressing this predicament and finding new responses.Design/methodology/approach – This paper offers a critical review of developments geared towards more sustainable and responsible forms of business education and practice. It takes ...

Learning to Connect

The sustainable development arguments we practiced in 1992 are now well rehearsed and as poignant as they were 20 years ago. Evidence compiled in the lead up to the forthcoming Rio Summit suggests that as a global community we have not learned to change. The question then becomes: what, if anything, have we learnt from this experience?

Catalysing Change in Higher Education for Sustainable Development: A review of professional development initiatives for university educators

Purpose The world is shaped by an education system that reinforces unsustainable thinking and practice. Efforts to transform our societies must thus prioritise the education of educators – building their understanding of sustainability and their ability to transform curriculum and wider learning opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to focus on university educators and critically review the professional development and policy landscape challenges that influence their effective engagement with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The paper is informed by a pan-European collaboration involving 33 countries that identified emerging scholarship and practice in this area and assessed the lessons learned from ESD professional development initiatives. It sets the context for a special issue titled “Professional Development in Higher Education for Sustainable Development” that draws together a collection of articles focusing on professional development of university educators across the world. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a critical review of existing practice, international policy frameworks and literature relating to ESD, professional development and higher education. It examines innovative initiatives worldwide that seek to improve the capability of educators in higher education to integrate ESD into academic practice at individual, disciplinary and institutional levels. A rigorous process of selection was applied and overseen by an international expert group. This ensured that the initiatives sought educational change in ESD, and not simply the embedding of content about sustainability into learning opportunities. It also assured that the initiatives had a clear and intentional professional learning process to underpin the engagement of participants with ESD. Findings ESD has grown in visibility and status worldwide, with a clear increase in activity in higher education. The sector is viewed as a significant force for change in societies, through the education provision it offers to future professionals and leaders in all sectors. However, universities currently lack capacity to integrate ESD effectively into mainstream teaching practices and the training they provide for academic staff or to integrate ESD into their institutional teaching and learning priorities. Many ESD activities remain focused on teaching issues arising in sustainable development research and delivering specialist modules or courses in sustainability. Very few countries and institutions have significant staff development programmes to enhance the ESD competences of university educators and build their academic leadership capabilities for ESD. The contributions to this special issue show the need for greater understanding of the multi-level task of integrating ESD into professional development activities, not just for individual impact in the classroom but to advance institutional change and decisively influence the teaching and learning discourse of higher education. Originality/value There are few research studies and documented activities on ESD professional development in higher education available in the literature. This paper attempts to explore what ESD professional development involves and describes its complexity within the higher education sector. The special issue provides a collection of innovative research and practical initiatives that can help those involved in education and learning to develop ESD as a priority for future university innovative pathways.

Australia's Response to a UN Decade in Education for Sustainable Development

The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) 2005-2014 provides a significant platform to enhance the profile of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in formal and informal learning spaces and ultimately to assist in transforming our future into a more sustainable one. The article presents a brief summary of Australias response to the DESD since its announcement in 2003. It argues that if stakeholders interpret the Decade as “business as usual”, rather than as a chance to reflect on how to be more strategic and reach out to key decision-makers or how to be more effective in involving a greater number of stakeholders in learning and change for sustainability, then the opportunities presented by the DESD will be missed.