The sustainability challenges we face require action and adaptation by individuals and institutions. Too often, this adaptation is isolating and resource intensive. That’s why we have launched the initiative Teaching for Sustainability.
We live in a world where the challenges of climate change, social inequality, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions are ever-present. As educators, we have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to prepare our students to navigate these complexities. However, as an educator, you’re likely juggling teaching and research, competing deadlines, shifting expectations, and limited time and support. Perhaps you wonder:
- What is our responsibility to prepare our students for a complex world?
- How can we integrate sustainability into curriculum?
- How can we make sustainability relatable and actionable for our students?
- What teaching methods are most effective?
- What resources are available to help us teach sustainability more effectively?
To address these questions and more, we’ve launched Teaching for Sustainability. This initiative serves as a hub for educators at Lund University, offering a platform for training, resources, and community building. The initiative intends to serve the larger community, in line with the strategic and sustainability commitments made by Lund University.
Strategy for Education
Lund University’s commitment to sustainability in education is anchored in several key documents that aim to shape teaching practices across the institution.
- The Policy for Sustainable Development outlines the university’s overarching goals for integrating sustainability into all aspects of its operations, including education.
- The Quality Policy for Education sets the standards for educational excellence, which stipulates that subject-relevant perspectives on sustainable development are promoted in education.
- The Strategy for Education provides a more detailed roadmap, focusing on pedagogical approaches that incorporate sustainability.
The implementation of these strategic documents highlights the need for strategic and operational support provided to our faculties, departments, teaching teams, and individual educators. Thus, the initiative Teaching for Sustainability offers practical, on-the-ground support for educators, making it easier for them to integrate sustainability into their teaching practices in a manner that is both effective and institutionally supported.
- LU Sustainability Policy (new tab)
- LU Quality Policy for Education (new tab)
- LU Strategy for Education 2023-2024 (PDF, new tab)
Our approach
We are educators and researchers, like you, so we understand the effort required to integrate new content into your course or programmes. For those of you teaching in disciplines not typically associated with sustainability, we acknowledge your experiences and concerns.
We utilise the sustainability competencies framework, which deliberately links existing academic or professional skills with those competencies required to address sustainability.
We aim to provide educators with the practical tools and theoretical frameworks they need to seamlessly integrate sustainability into their curricula. To achieve this, we employ a variety of methods, including pedagogical coursework, training opportunities, workshops, expert-led seminars, and other inspiration-rich resources. Our ultimate goal is to foster a culture that enriches the educational experience for both educators and students.
Our Team
This work is coordinated by the Working Group, consisting of the education coordinator at the Lund University Sustainability Forum, Terese Thoni, together with colleagues from the Division of Higher Education Development, Steven Curtis and Karin Steen, and the Centre for Engineering Education, Mirjam Glessmer.
We meet twice per semester with the Task Force. The Task Force consists of voluntary representatives from all across Lund University and receives information and provides input that guides the work of the Working Group. You can read about recent Task Force meetings here.
Thus, our team spans faculties and disciplines, with decades of teaching experience and professional training.
Join us!
This is a grassroot initiative. We welcome anyone who wants to join the Working Group or Task Force! If you are interested to contribute, please contact Terese Thoni (terese.thoni@cec.lu.se).
If you want to connect with other teachers at Lund University for inspiration, support, discussions around teaching sustainability, you are also very welcome to join our Teams team “Community of Practice (TfS)“, follow our blog, or join us on any of our upcoming events, or reach out to any of us!
If you want to contribute to this blog, have questions, comments, or feedback about this website, please get in touch with Mirjam Glessmer.