Kanayathu Koshy

The Pacific Way: Sustainability in Higher Education in the South Pacific Island Nations.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create an area profile of significant activity and possibility in higher education for sustainable development (ESD) in the island nations of the South Pacific Ocean.Design/methodology/approach – This is a descriptive research paper on philosophy, policy, and practice according to a methodology of categorical analysis by developments, challenges, and prospects. The focus is on higher education institutions, particularly the University of the South Pacific, the regional university of 12 Island nations in Oceania. The developments and prospects are contextualized, however, in the larger regional Pacific Education for Sustainable Development Framework and the Action Plan for Sustainable Development in the Pacific Islands 2008‐2014. Academic programs, policy statements, and education projects are analyzed.Findings – South Pacific universities possess rich missions that valorize traditional knowledge and culture. The region also has a sophisticated policy environment f...

Development with a difference: neo-disaster risk management for sustainable development

Sustainable development (SD) or sustainability is the imperative of the 21st century. Protecting our planet, lifting people out of poverty and advancing economic growth are interconnected aspects of the same principle – sustainability. Global change research and global environmental policy summits have repeatedly asserted that the current developmental paradigm that puts considerable pressure on natural resources, resulting in environmental degradation, change climate and widening of the gap between the poor and rich further, is simply not sustainable. While developed countries will continue efforts to sustain their living standards and maintain economic growth, developing countries are on a fast track to become ‘developed’. Is there a paradox in the development trajectories that the two groups have been following in that they are inherently unsustainable? It depends. Either we contradict the principles and practices of SD or now we have a unique opportunity to embrace an altogether new course of action to realize the dreams of our generation and those who will follow us, traversing the less travelled pathway of sustainability. This is what we dub as development with a difference, a big difference! While many idealize SD, we propose actually to practice it. While skeptics question the validity of the multiple risk-based scenarios developed in scientific assessments such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Millennium Declaration and United Nations mediated global sustainability summits, we could pursue a new way of building resilience to avoid undesired outcomes in the future through reducing current risks posed by human actions that are changing significantly Earth and its environment. We could define risk more inclusively to cover both ‘rapid onset–high impact’ events such as floods and heat waves, and ‘slow onset–high impact’ events such as climate change and poverty, acknowledging that most of the present-day sustainability challenges belong to the latter category at this stage. The need for a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) as highlighted in the Rioþ20 outcome, the ‘future we want’, is urgent to pursue through focused and coherent action to address sustainability challenges. A recent article (Griggs et al. 2013) proposed six such SDGs – thriving lives and livelihoods, sustainable food

An Indicator-Based Approach to Sustainability Monitoring and Mainstreaming at Universiti Sains Malaysia

This chapter presents the results of the research we have been doing to develop a new methodology to monitor and mainstream sustainability throughout Universiti Sains Malaysia, in keeping with our new vision of “Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” We have focused both on global sustainability challenges and on campus sustainability. In the first part of our research we developed a new tool, a Sustainability Assessment Methodology (SAM), to assess the sustainability content of courses and projects. This method involves a screening step, consisting of three generic questions; an identification step, with 24 more specific questions; and a classification step, in which the results of steps 1 and 2 are used to classify courses and projects as either Green (High), Yellow (Medium), or Red (Low) in terms of sustainability. When we used SAM to do a USM Sustainability Audit, out of 2671 courses examined, 44 % were found to have elements of at least one pillar of the “Triple Bottom Line” sustainability model, 27 % had elements of two pillars, and 9 % had elements of all three pillars. In the second part of our research, we developed a Framework with Four Worksheets that presented targets, tasks, and timelines for sustainability infusion at all levels of USM’s activities. The outcomes of this part of our research provide feedback and guidance to all practitioners to build sustainability content in their mission activities. This may include reorienting existing courses or designing and managing new research and community-oriented projects. Together, the results may be used either for rating or ranking sustainability performance, though we have used them only for rating at this stage.

The Role of Solution-Oriented Knowledge Transfer Programme and Networking in Charting a New Course in University-Stakeholder Engagement

Two major initiatives aimed at enhancing University-Stakeholder Engagement (U-SE) are addressed here. First, we discuss an innovative Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) introduced by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia in 2011 for which Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) serves as the Secretariat. Since the beginning, KTP has committed approximately USD20 million to the programme split between industry 70 % and community 30 %, with a caveat of 30 % or more input from the partners. Since its inception, 349 projects (industry 219 and community 130) have been implemented throughout Malaysia, with the participation of more than 1400 academic staff, 650 graduate interns, and 3500 employees from Industry and Community. Secondly, we highlight the role of four international/regional Networks USM supports as Secretariat. In this context we wish to provide our experience and best practices involving, APUCEN (Asia-Pacific University Community Engagement Network), SEASN (South-East Asia Sustainability Network), ALKN (ASEAN Local Knowledge Network) and RSEN (Regional Sejahtera ESD Network). This paper will, thus, cover one major knowledge transfer programme partnership involving ‘university-industry/community’, and four specific ‘network’ initiatives designed to promote university-stakeholder engagement at a variety of levels. The range of knowledge transferred, approaches used, and the support provided by the university will hopefully provide replicable ideas to other aspiring higher educational institutions as they position themselves to be more proactively engaged.

Increasing Student Participation and Engagement in Sustainability Projects in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Through Kampus Sejahtera and WSU101: Sustainability Course for Undergraduates

In 2008, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) which re-aligned its major and long term focus towards sustainability was selected by the Ministry of Education, Malaysia to participate in the Accelerated Program for Excellence (APEX), a fast track program that would help the university achieve world-class status. In order to mainstream sustainability within the campus, increased student participation and engagement in sustainability projects are essential. One of the easiest ways to encourage student participation and engagement in sustainability is through co-curricular and extra curricular activities. This paper presents a concentrated analysis on how USM increases student participation and engagement in sustainability projects in campus through its co-curricular and extra curricular activities specifically the WSU101 Sustainability Course for Undergraduates and the Kampus Sejahtera program. A special emphasis is given to the challenges and barriers that affect student participation and engagement in sustainability projects. Finally, the paper highlights the lessons learnt as well as the successful strategies implemented to ensure increased student participation and engagement in sustainability projects. This paper will be useful to anyone interested to increase student participation and engagement in sustainability projects in their respective institutions of higher learning.

The Sustainability Journey of USM: Solution Oriented Campus Ecosphere for Vitalising Higher Education Action on GAP

Grappling with the challenges of sustainable development will require a total change in the way we interact with the ecosystems that support our lives and the people we live with. This means that all individuals and societies must be equipped with knowledge, skills, perspectives, values and issues that enable them to drive such changes. Consequently, universities across the world have been trying to integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into their curriculum. This global ESD commitment gained further strength when the UNESCO World Conference on ESD launched the Global Action Programme (GAP) on ESD in 2015 with five priority areas. The sustainability journey of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has a lot in common with the experience of UNESCO globally and GAP in particular, in that the University too is convinced, with its long-term involvement in ESD, that a whole-institution (GAP Priority 2) commitment which involves policies (GAP Priority 1) and practices which factor the creativity of educators (GAP Priority 3), and the youthful vigour of students (GAP Priority 4) are integral to promoting relevant changes that befits the needs of all stakeholders (GAP Priority 5) today and tomorrow. These examples that enable the campus ecoshere to align itself to the broader priorities of sustainable development and vitalise the university across the board to promote learner centred and solution focused education. The intention of this paper is to share USM’s sustainability experience with a wider group of practitioners in the hope that it will enhance action toward GAP and a bigger process of institutional learning for sustainability.

The Institutional Dimension of Sustainability: Creating an Enabling Environment for Sustainability Transformation at USM

Recognising the importance of strengthened institutional arrangements for the promotion of sustainability, Universiti Sains Malaysia has been taking steps to respond effectively to integrated approaches involving all the major stakeholders, especially the students. Over the years, USM has made strong commitments to internal and international efforts to prevent further irreversible environmental change and to promote sustainable development through a host of on-going activities such as Kampus Sejahtera, 2000, RCE-Penang, 2005, University in a Garden, 2006, Research University award, 2007, and the APEX University award, 2008. In order to create an enabling environment within which different sections of the university could implement sustainability depending on the demands of their discipline and special circumstances; USM has developed a new ‘sustainability integration model’, an innovative ‘sustainability assessment methodology’ and a new ‘Policy on Sustainable Development 2013’. In order to facilitate smooth and effective operationalisation, the policy is accompanied by an implementation log frame and a user guide. While there are major barriers for the enthusiastic integration of sustainability into the core activities of universities due mainly to the lack of awareness, understanding, workable models, difficulty in monitoring progress and above all, the apathy of senior level administration, the USM experience will show how in a modern university it can be practiced through committed and systematic approaches. What is innovative here is the use of a new SD-ESD concept model developed by USM, a new computerised methodology to assess sustainability, and a proactive management that promotes sustainability through targeted programs, new policies and procedures and focused financial support. The intention of this paper is to share USM’s model and working experiences to a wider group of practitioners in the hope that it will contribute to a process of institutional learning for sustainability.

Climate and Society

The complexity of climate governance at multiple levels leads to fragmented approaches and there is a mismatch between international agreements and commitments that leads to delays in progress. Climate governance requires a great amount of dialogue, action and financing, and strengthening institutional frameworks for climate governance is desirable. Developing and widely disseminating technologies and methodologies for securing food and eradicating climate-induced health risks, that especially targets poorer communities, is crucial. Empowering poorer communities in this aspect will help alleviate the problems faced by the most vulnerable. Also crucial to creating a resilient community is the implementation of adaptation measures and poverty reduction approaches, both of which need to be integrated into national development plans. Given the urgency for capacity building to improve climate responses, enhanced efforts in collaboration with national institutions and international partners, including the private sector, is needed. In the longer term, establishing international funding and technology transfer mechanisms based on a comprehensive climate agreement is desirable.

Strengthening the Capacity of Flood-Affected Rural Communities in Padang Terap, State of Kedah, Malaysia

The communities in the district of Padang Terap, Kedah, were not used to flood events even though they had been living in the area for generations. Since 2000, flooding in this area had become a common occurrence as a result of the increased intensity and frequency of rain due to global warming and climate change. Recognizing the need to address the vulnerability and adaptation of the communities and relevant agencies, the Centre for Global Sustainability Studies (CGSS), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), carried out a project based on university-community engagement and education for sustainable development (ESD) in this area. The stakeholders involved in this project were from different entities, consisting of experts from USM, residents, local officials, and selected schools in the district. The project identified that the communities of Padang Terap needed counseling for trauma victims, training in handling and maintaining flood-related equipment, accredited flood rescue training, and the establishment of a formal community flood disaster committee consisting of village leaders and the local authorities. In addition, CGSS also addressed public awareness of the dangers of flooding via ESD activities implemented in schools and villages. Close cooperation and positive contributions from academia, local officials, and local communities ensured that the project was successful.