Changing requisites to higher education in the face of 21st century sustainability challenges.

in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (2015), 16

Sustainability science aims to enhance our understanding and increase our repertoire of action on urgent complex problems of how to reconcile our societal metabolism with the biophysical carrying capacity ... [more ▼]

Sustainability science aims to enhance our understanding and increase our repertoire of action on urgent complex problems of how to reconcile our societal metabolism with the biophysical carrying capacity of the earth. Sustainability science thus requires new forms of interaction between the natural and social sciences and between science and society. Universities across the globe are re-thinking their mission accordingly. This paper summarizes changing conceptions of science, knowledge and practice and on this basis it identifies a set of requisites to learning, teaching and research in universities that aim to foster systemic change. This set structures the overview on the fourteen contributions to this special issue on how leading universities across five continents stage transformative learning opportunities. These contributions are developed from a wide range of perspectives from diverse academic disciplines and practice. [less ▲]

Towards systemic change: On the co-creation and evaluation of a study programme in transformative sustainability science with stakeholders in Luxembourg

in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (2015), 16

This paper examines a study programme in ‘Sustainability and social innovation’ at the University of Luxembourg that was co-created with key external stakeholders in local sustainability transitions.The ... [more ▼]

This paper examines a study programme in ‘Sustainability and social innovation’ at the University of Luxembourg that was co-created with key external stakeholders in local sustainability transitions.The programme’s aim is to equip scientists and citizens for the practice of transformative sustainability science to change human environment interactions. Addressing socially salient, complex problems invites a re-conception of what role universities can play in knowledge production processes in more applied and local contexts. We critically discuss the programme’s ambition to provide a platform for transformative social learning for sustainability and to contribute to fostering systemic change in Luxembourg. We deduce design requisites to achieve these ambitions. The paper also discusses the role of different forms of evaluation in effecting individual programme and systemic change. Research insights were drawn from documentary and literature research, concept-building, programme implementation, observation, analysis, and evaluation by students and contributors. [less ▲]