Hasselt University to host next CA Conference focusing on doughnut economy
“How can transformative learning for sustainable development foster the doughnut economy?” That is the question raised for the next CA Conference, which will be hosted by our new member Hasselt University. Taking into account current global circumstances, UHasselt and CA have decided to split the conference in two: On 9 December 2021, a virtual teaser event will be held and in the week from 5-9 September 2022, Hasselt University will welcome participants to a physical conference in Belgium. Please save the dates!
On 4 February 2021, the cross-faculty Institute for Sustainable Development and Learning at Leuphana University Lüneburg (ISDL) hosted Distinguished Professor of Education Heila Lotz-Sisitka from Rhodes University to speak at its inaugural dialogue series on ESD for 2030. The dialogue mobilized members from education and sustainability learning communities from around the world focusing on the theme "Building forward better through ESD for 2030: The next chapter for sustainability learning" to generate conversation on the role of the new framework in recovery and reconstruction from the pandemic.
Do you want to know how the cities of tomorrow are being designed and how you can be part of this change? Listen to visionary voices, engage with urban change leaders from all over Europe and share your ideas and visions at the online conference “Urban Jungle // Sustainable Cities in the Making – Inspiration & Entrepreneurial Action”, which will take place from 18 to 19 March 2021. In addition, there is a European Start-up competition. The event is organized by the Vienna University of Economics and Business and the European Project BUILD. Registration is open until 10 March.
As the first university in Austria the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna recently published a Sustainability Report in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards. The report focuses on five areas: teaching, research, exchange with society as well as operations and organizational culture in the context of sustainability. The full sustainability report is available online (in German). 
The Global Goals Teach In is an initiative to put the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) at the heart of education and catalyze the change needed to make this happen. The annual campaign calls on educators across all stages of education to pledge to include the SDGs in their teaching and learning in the period from 22 February to 5 March 2021.
The 16th IRDO International Science and Business Conference SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CURRENT CHALLENGES 2021 is organized by the University of Maribor and puts a focus on "Challenges, opportunities and digitalisation for sustainable future". The main purpose of the conference is to explore the impact of digitalisation on the formation of relations and interactions between people, organizations, nature and society that enable the development of a common sustainable future. Submit your abstract by 15 February 2021 and participate in this forward-looking event that will take place from 10-11 June 2021 in a hybrid form in Maribor (Slovenia) and online.
Researchers at the Wuppertal Institute, Leuphana University of Lüneburg and Freie Universität of Berlin developed a handbook for the promotion of transformative and transdisciplinary competences within the framework of a new learning format called "Transformative Innovation Lab".
The Postdoc Academy for Transformational Leadership is a unique program that develops the next generation of leaders in sustainability research affiliated with a European research institution. Postdocs who conduct sustainability research and deal with challenges regarding pathways for regenerative development are invited to apply for the fourth cohort of the program. Applications can be submitted until 15 February 2021.
The University of Bern has set itself the goal of becoming a climate-neutral institution by 2025 in all areas in which it has direct influence. This ambitious goal is not only a necessity for the University of Bern due to continuing unchecked global warming, but also a question of credibility, as it is one of the world’s most acclaimed research institutions in climate change research. Furthermore, in its Strategy 2021, the University of Bern commits to integrating sustainability as an interdisciplinary issue in all areas of the university and promoting the respectful use of ecological, economic and social resources.
Frontiers in Sustainability, Section Sustainable Organizations, will shortly announce a Call for a Special Collection on “The role of the human dimension in promoting education for sustainable development at the regional level”. The theme is closely associated with ESD and learning processes on regional level, where diverse actors are involved.
How to teach sustainability in a disciplinary university landscape and reach students from all disciplines? The University of Graz addresses this common dilemma with a university-wide ”Basic Module”: Six optional introductory courses deal with interdisciplinary topics and provide an orientation, especially for young people at the start of their studies. Initiated by the RCE Graz-Styria, recently a new course dedicated to ”Sustainable Development” was added to the Basic Module, tailor-made for beginners.
Since the pandemic crisis, Higher Education Institutions have adopted a more agile approach by streamlining their processes for evaluations and exams. As experience and knowledge increases, resistance to digital technology diminishes and at the same time leads to a pedagogical transformation of Higher Education Institutions which also affects sustainability issues.
In the second edition of its report on actions towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, CRUE (Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities) reflects on its commitment to the SDGs through implementation of dedicated conferences, debate sessions, workshops, and other initiatives. The Annual Report 2019 summarizes and analyses activities of the CRUE network and different working groups at Spanish Universities, discussing how they fostered the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at national and international levels.
