Education for Sustainable Development (ESD

Learning for the future

BU strives to support our students to become active, global citizens who have the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to address global challenges.

BU2025 includes a commitment for sustainable development to be embedded in our courses, our projects and our research. In 2019/20, we have made fantastic progress against this commitment through the formation of two key groups who will lead on and deliver this action.

Sustainability Academic Network (SAN)

In May 2020, the SAN was formed. The group is responsible for supporting and leading action to embed sustainability into education, practice and research at BU. It is a formal group which meets termly with a representative staff member from every academic department across our four faculties and reports to the Sustainability Committee. It helps support the ESD Community of Practice and aims to take direct strategic action for ESD.

The three main areas of work the group has focused on since forming are:

• Investigating how to measure ESD, for example through alignment to the United Nations ESD Learning Objectives • Setting up a pilot scheme for students to self-assess how their project or assignment contributes to the SDGs, and is due to report in summer 2021 • Laying the groundwork for more environmentallyfriendly research practices, including a reduction in business travel

Education for Sustainable Development Community of Practice

The ESD Community of Practice was formed in November 2019 and has over 65 members from all four faculties within BU. It exists as an informal group, open to all BU staff and students, with the aims of networking and sharing passion, best practice and action on ESD. The group meets termly for topical discussions and short presentations which showcase great examples of ESD and has uncovered excellent practice and promoted greater collaboration. Read some examples of the best practice our academics showcase on page 10.

ESD empowers learners to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, for present and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity. It is about lifelong learning, and is an integral part of quality education. ESD is holistic and transformational education which addresses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment. It achieves its purpose by transforming society.