Higher Education and the Future of Sustainable Development: Critical Perspectives and Implications for Practice

Education has a crucial role in the SDGs, being a goal in itself and a driver for all of the other goals (McCowan 2019). In recent years there has been significant increase in interest in the SDGs in higher education: the SDGs are incorporated into higher education in various ways, through mission statements, sustainability directorates, courses, research, community engagement and campus facilities. However, approaches vary, and tensions exist over approaches, between those who promote more technical interpretations of sustainability and those who seek more critical and socially engaged ones. These debates have taken on increased significance as we look to the future of the SDG agenda and what will happen after 2030. Additionally, despite the widely recognized role of education, faculties of education have not always fulfilled their potential. Sustainability and the environment are not always integrated into taught courses and research. In some cases, there may be an emphasis in teacher education courses, but with the issues viewed as irrelevant or far removed from other domains of education, such as leadership, policy, adult and higher education, and applied psychology. There are many questions of practice concerning how the field can and should engage with the SDGs.

As part of the After2030 project, a partnership between UofT and UCL that seeks to debate future directions of the SDG agenda, this panel will critically discuss questions of practice directly. It brings together scholars from Brazil, Canada and the United Kingdom to discuss findings from their various research projects on the role of higher education and the SDGs. Remarks by each presenter will be short to ensure plenty of time for audience engagement and Q&A.

Speakers:

Elizabeth Buckner, OISE/University of Toronto

You Zhang, OISE/University of Toronto

Tristan McCowan, Institute of Education, University College London

Pedro Roberto Jacobi, Institute of Energy and Environment, Universidade de São Paulo

Denise Carreira Soares, Faculty of Education, Universidade de São Paulo

For in-person participation, please come to OISE, 12th floor, Nexus Lounge.
For  online participation, register here.

This presentation is supported by funding from the International Network of Education Institutes (INEI) and the After2030 Project, funded by the Strategic Challenges Fund of the University of Toronto (UofT) and University College London (UCL).