“ESD is education for the future, for everyone everywhere. It is an essential ingredient to ensure quality education and a successful transition to green societies and economies. There is increasing interest in the role of education at all levels in contributing to the transition – or transformation - towards a more sustainable society.” (UNESCO, p.12)

Education is recognised as an important influence on the development of individuals and wider society, and universities and colleges form an increasingly central part of the education system. Although Higher Education (HE) world-wide is still restricted to the comparatively privileged few, its impact on society is much larger: The majority of political and business leaders were university-educated, and their potential for positive or negative impact is significantly amplified. Moreover, student numbers are on the rise. According to a recent report, there were 178 million students participating in HE globally in 2010, and numbers continue to grow (OECD 2012).  Thus, how universities engage with sustainability has implications for society as a whole.

As HE institutions battle with issues of funding, it would be easy for sustainability to be overlooked. Yet the pattern has been the reverse: There has been an increasing interest in sustainability in HE, driven by upturn in student demand, growing awareness of universities’ role in the transition towards more sustainable societies and by the need for diversification. A growing number of universities are initiating fundamental transformations, utilising innovative forms of learning which provide challenges to the traditional lecture-based model (Wals & Blewitt, 2010; Cotton & Winter, 2010).

The interest in sustainability in HE has been accompanied by growing research in this area (Adomßent et al., 2014; Barth & Rieckmann, 2013; Karatzoglou, 2013). Across Europe, and beyond, there is a group of researchers exploring sustainability in HE including, for example, terminology used to describe sustainability education (EfS, ESD, EE) and outcomes (literacies, skills, competencies); types of pedagogic approaches recommended for sustainability in HE; and the extent to which participation in HE impacts on students’ commitment towards sustainability.

This symposium explores a range of issues and uses a variety of theoretical frameworks as appropriate to the diversity of work in the field. Contributors will explore questions including:

• In what ways and to what extent does HE support transition to a sustainable future?
• What pedagogic approaches have been used in HE, and what is their effect on student transformation?
• What evidence is there about the impact of HE on students’ knowledge and attitudes towards sustainability?

These questions will be explored in different international contexts through this symposium. The first contribution from Arjen Wals explores the evolution of sustainability in HE, particularly the move towards more holistic understandings of sustainability and whole institution approaches to change. The second paper by Jennie Winter looks specifically at pedagogies for transformation, and offers a review of the benefits and challenges of different approaches for sustainability education in HE. The third paper, by Matthias Barth, considers the skills and competencies teachers need to enable meaningful learning around sustainability. The final contribution (from Kerry Shepherd, by video link from New Zealand) sums up the evidence (or lack of it) that the desired sustainability outcomes are actually being achieved by HE institutions.

The symposium offers a clear contribution to our understanding of how HE might enhance the development of individuals and societies in a transition period with accelerating environmental and social changes. With contributors from the UK, Germany, The Netherlands and New Zealand, it offers an overview of key issues in the field from some of the leading researchers in this area, as well as identifying gaps in knowledge to focus future research. 

Adomßent, M., Fischer, D., Godemann, J., Herzig, C., Otte, I., Rieckmann, M., Timm, J. (2014): Emerging Areas in Research on HE for Sustainable Development … Journal of Cleaner Production. Volume 62, 1 January 2014, S. 1–7. Barth, M., & Rieckmann, M., 2013. A Review on Research in HE for Sustainable Development. Oral paper at the 7th World Environmental Education Congress, Marrakech, Morocco, 9e14 June 2013. Cotton, D.R.E & Winter, J. (2010) 'It's not just bits of paper and light bulbs': A review of sustainability pedagogies and their potential for use in HE. In Sustainability Education: Perspectives and Practice Across HE. (Editors: Jones, P., Selby, D. & Sterling, S.) London: Earthscan. Karatzoglou, B. (2013): An in-depth literature review of the evolving roles and contributions of universities to Education for Sustainable Development, in: Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 49, 44 – 53. OECD (2012) Assessment of higher education learning outcomes. Feasibility Report. UNESCO (2012) Shaping the Education of Tomorrow: 2012 Report on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Wals, A.E.J and Blewitt, J. 2010. Third-wave sustainability in HE: some (inter)national trends and developments. In Jones, P., Selby, D. & Sterling, S. (ibid)