Projects

Empowering Higher Education in the Hindu Kush Himalaya for Sustainable Mountain Development through knowledge co-creation and exchange

The overall objective of the project is to adapt the course “Integrating Sustainability into Higher Education: Theories, concepts, and practical strategies” (developed for the Ethiopian and Kenyan context by the CDE and its African partners) to the sustainable mountain development context of the Hindu-Kush-Himalayas. The course will be piloted in higher education institutions of the Himalaya University Consortium (HUC) (Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan), with the aim of equipping HEI lecturers to effectively integrate sustainable mountain development concepts and theories into their teaching disciplines. Subsequently, the project seeks to facilitate discussions among stakeholders through a multinational workshop to analyse the results of the pilot phase and develop an up-scaling strategy for broader implementation of the course, thereby fostering sustainable education transformation in the region. The project is part of the 2-year action plan of the Education for Sustainable Mountain Working Group of the Himalaya University Consortium (HUC).

Fostering Education for Sustainable Development in Ethiopia: Capacity strengthening for teachers and lecturers to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs

The aim of the project is to promote ESD and to integrate sustainability topics in high school, in teacher education programs, and higher education curricula and teaching in Ethiopia. An awareness-raising conference for decision-makers was organized in Nov 2023 and based on the results, a capacity strengthening format (pilot training) on SD and ESD for high school teachers, teacher educators, and higher education lecturers was co-produced and will be tested in 2024 to be upscaled to other Ethiopian higher education institutions. The project will sensitize decision makers, teachers, teacher educators, and lecturers on the relevance of integrating ESD and sustainability topics into teaching. Through this the development of transformation pathways towards sustainable development in high schools and higher education institutions will be fostered addressing the implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 and the African Union 2063 Agenda.

Embedding Education for Sustainable Development and sustainability topics in higher education curricula: Piloting capacity strengthening in Kenya and Ethiopia

Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a central role in the transformation of society towards sustainability. However, HEI lecturers have insufficient knowledge of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), sustainability topics and how to integrate these into their teaching. The aim of the project is to promote ESD and to integrate sustainability topics in HEI curricula in Kenya and Ethiopia. A pilot training for lecturers at HEI in Kenya and Ethiopia will be co-produced and tested with the target to be upscaled to other regions/countries.

The project’s objectives are:

• To map and to analyse existing content on sustainability topics at CDE and the respective HEI in Kenya and Ethiopia, and to identify the training needs related to sustainability and/or ESD of HEI lecturers.
• To co-develop, pilot, and evaluate online capacity strengthening formats for HEI lectures in Kenya and Ethiopia.
• To identify pathways on how to integrate sustainability topics and ESD into curricula in the respective HEI by involving HEI decision makers.

To develop an upscaling strategy for the pilot to other regions/countries and to identify corresponding funding opportunities.

Transforming Higher Education for Sustainability by Fostering Inner Dimensions of Learners

Led by CDE, this project brings together leading higher education institutions dealing with the topic of sustainability and holistic teaching and learning. With a view to pioneering teaching-and-learning, it focuses on inner dimensions and promotes inner transformation for sustainability.

The project partners are jointly developing an online toolkit for corresponding teaching-and-learning approaches. The toolkit is designed to inspire lecturers from higher education institutions in all partner countries and beyond to integrate these teaching-and-learning approaches in their university teaching.

Additionally, the project aims to build a vibrant international network focused on raising awareness of the importance of learners’ inner dimensions in higher education for sustainability and pushing the sustainability agenda in university teaching.

Find more about the project here.