Universities are key players in shaping the future workforce and leaders. By integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into their curricula, they can ensure that students, regardless of their field of study, are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to contribute to sustainable development. Also, through ESD, universities can help build a culture of sustainability that influences attitudes and behaviors of students, faculty, and staff, leading to a more sustainable future for all.
Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration is another major aspect of ESD at universities. This is because sustainability challenges are complex and require interdisciplinary approaches. Universities can serve as platforms for fostering collaboration across various disciplines, enabling a holistic understanding of sustainability issues. Also, through ESD, universities may also engage with local communities, share knowledge, and collaborate on sustainable initiatives, thus extending the impact of sustainability education beyond the campus.
There is a perceived need for events which may cater for in-depth discussions about how universities can better contribute towards fostering the case of ESD. It is against this background that the Symposium “Education for Sustainable Development: the Contribution of Universities” (ESD 2024) is being organized. The Symposium aims to provide a platform for researchers and educators engaged with sustainability education, to exchange their knowledge and perspectives through a face-to-face event to be held at the University of Malta. The Symposium also aims to offer a valuable platform to enable sustainability educators from the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East regions to enhance their networks. The theme of the Symposium, "Education for Sustainable Development: the contribution of universities” reflects the intention to offer participants an opportunity to present what their universities are doing, and to showcase their sustainability works.
The event has three primary objectives as follows:
- To provide a platform for researchers in the field of sustainability education to present their works.
- To provide a venue for participants to publish their works in a Scopus-indexed, peer-reviewed book.
- To offer an opportunity for researchers to network and establish future collaboration with other scholars working in the field of sustainability education.
