Workshop Partners

The Centre for Environment Education, in collaboration with the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) and the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), organized an Invitational Event for Vice Chancellors entitled “University leadership for education for sustainable development” to explore the challenges to and contribution of higher education in India to education for sustainable development (ESD). The event was held on 18 and 19 January 2005 in Ahmedabad.

This event took place as part of the International Conference on Education for a Sustainable Future (ESF) organized by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ahmedabad, in collaboration with the Ministries of Environment and Forests, and of Human Resource Development, Government of India, and UNESCO. The conference was one of the first events worldwide to launch the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. It was planned as a forum to take stock of what has been achieved so far, to showcase best practices in ESD from different parts of the world, and to set the course for the future.

The invitational event provided an opportunity for the leadership of Indian universities (vice chancellors, rectors and deans) in dialogue with other ESD leaders, to explore strategies to support and enhance relevance of environmentally oriented courses at the undergraduate and professional levels, as well as strategies for campus sustainability. Representatives of fifteen universities from India ; three (one each) from Bangladesh , Nepal and Sri Lanka ; one from Australia and two from USA participated in the event.*

Discussion on compulsory course on Environmental Studies

The discussion focused largely on the compulsory undergraduate course on Environmental Studies required by the UGC to be introduced in all universities in response to the directive of the Supreme Court of India. While all agreed that the spirit behind the decision and the directive was commendable, the implementation of the course based on the syllabus designed by the UGC committee was too vast and did not serve the purpose for which it was intended. While the purpose of the course was sensitization of students, the syllabus was very elaborate, and if taught the way it has been recommended, i.e. through 50 lectures, and with the kind of examination system prescribed, it would end up being perceived as an additional burden for which students would study only before the exam, just enough to get pass marks, and not gain anything more out of it. As a course that is supposed to instill in students values that would make them more responsible citizens of the Earth, and shift its focus from teaching to learning, classes of hundreds of students are not realistic. Nor are meaningful fieldwork or field visits possible with hundreds of students and only one teacher as a facilitator.

The participants recommended the following for the UGC as actionable items

• Given the overlap between environmental education and education for sustainable development, and in view of the goals of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development, use the course as an opportunity to ensure that the core environmental studies course should reflect the four pillars of sustainable development -- social, cultural, economic and environmental;
• Set up an independent committee to review the content, quality and logistics of the existing syllabus of the environmental studies course with special attention to education for sustainable development. This committee should include representatives from a diversity of disciplines including natural and social sciences and humanities, and from relevant NGOs;
• Gandhian idea of constructive development should be a part of the syllabus;
• Provide freedom and flexibility to each university to teach the course as they see most appropriate;
• Provide additional funding for faculty development to teach the environmental studies course;
• Design the training program and train faculty for this course with the help of institutions such as Centre for Environment Education who have considerable experience in the philosophy, approaches, methods and practice of environmental education /education for sustainable development;
• The Academic Staff Colleges should devote the coming academic year to training/ orienting college teachers for handling the course in Environmental Studies at different levels in colleges, including teachers' training colleges;
• The course needs to be creatively designed and implemented. Provide funding for pilot projects in curriculum and pedagogy for the environmental studies course. This funding should not be restricted only to universities but should also involve NGOs;
• Links between NSS and this course should be seriously considered as they would lend synergy and meaning to both activities;
• Expand linkages with the community beyond the university for the purpose of promoting education for sustainable development.
• Set up a Consortium on education for sustainable development (ESD) within the Indian Association of Universities. These universities would be committed to providing environmental, ecological and sustainability literacy in higher education, and would serve as role models for others;
• UGC should convene a special meeting of Vice Chancellors and other relevant personnel to discuss and develop a plan of action for implementing Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development in colleges.

* Universities represented at the meeting

India :

• Anna University , Chennai
• BR Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad
• Barkatullah University , Bhopal
• Dr. Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar
• Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad
• Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi
• Kurukshetra University , Kurukshetra
• Lucknow University , Lucknow
• MS University Baroda , Vadodara
• Osmania University , Hyderabad
• University of Hyderabad , Hyderabad
• University of Jammu , Jammu
• University of Kashmir , Srinagar
• University of Sambalpur (former Vice Chancellor)
• Association of College Principals (represented by the Secretary of the Association)

Other Countries

• University of Peradeniya , Sri Lanka
• Tribhuvan University , Nepal
• University of Dhaka , Bangladesh
• University of South Australia , Australia
• Texas A&M University , USA
• Florida Gulf Coast University , USA

Recommendations on Ahmedabad Declaration

• Acknowledgement of the Constitutional mandates under the Article 48 A and 51 A on protection and improvement of environment under the Constitution of India
• Appreciation of the directives of the Supreme Court of India
• Important role of higher education to move towards SD
• Acknowledgement of Gandhian idea on constructive development
• Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, should promote capacity building in higher education for education for sustainable development
• Promote multi-stakeholder participation in ESD
• Involvement of student community in implementation of the Decade

Recommendations to UNESCO on regional implementation of the Decade

• Envision sustainable development appropriate to Asia-Pacific region;
• Emphasize the role and responsibility of higher education in the Decade;
• Engage the student community in implementation of the Decade;
• Acknowledge the importance of non-formal and distance education;
• Identify regional centers of expertise on education for sustainable development;
• Support development of leadership on pre-service and in-service training;
• Encourage introduction of the sustainable development theme in every university course;
• Support institutional capacity-building programme in education for sustainable development;
• Expand international collaboration on education for sustainable development.
  

Click here to view the concept paper that formed the basis for the workshop discussions...