How can the education system become an effective driving force for a more sustainable future? Preparing for the future entails a paradigm shift towards a more learner-driven education, which means that not only students, but also teachers and other educational and societal stakeholders learn by closely collaborating – a real Copernican Revolution in Higher Education. This year’s Higher Education Summit aims to explore how we can foster collective transformative learning and integrate it into higher education. Taking this ambition seriously, we teamed up with the students from oikos International to co-organize this event. Together we'll host a 3-day online conference from 23-25 November 2023. The Call for Contributions is open until 6 October 2023.
A Copernican Revolution in higher education
How can the education system become an effective driving force for a more sustainable future? To address current and future challenges, the present mono-disciplinary educational system needs to change to tackle and navigate the complexity of sustainability challenges. This not only affects both educators and students (and other stakeholders), but also requires their proactive engagement. Preparing for the future entails a paradigm shift towards a more learner-driven education, which means that not only students, but also teachers and other educational and societal stakeholders learn by closely collaborating – a real Copernican Revolution in Higher Education. Putting the mindset of all these learners into the center of education implies adding a new dimension to long established roles and pedagogies, and challenging the current structures in place.
Collectice and collaborative learning
The 2023 Higher Education Summit explores how collective and/or collaborative learning spaces can foster and nurture transformative learning and integrate it into higher education. Such a learning environment is expected to increase active transformative learning for all (teachers and collaborating societal actors included), which is why it is also relevant and unavoidable to shed light on current assessment practices in Collaborative Learning Spaces, alternative evaluation methods, learner-driven credit systems, etc. Envisaging a Copernican Revolution for a sustainable future, we raise the question: "How can we foster collective transformative learning and structurally integrate it into higher education to make it future-proof?"
Co-organized online conference
Following the tradition of organizing the Higher Education Summit with partners and members of the COPERNICUS Alliance, for the 2023 edition, we join forces with oikos International, supported by SOS – Students Organizing for Sustainability International, the Green Office Movement, and the Club of Rome. We aim to bring together different audiences involving students, educators and changemakers in the field of transformative learning for sustainable development within higher education.
The 2023 Higher Education Summit will take place from 23-25 November 2023, online and free of charge.
Call for Contributions is open
Join us to rethink the educational system and pave the way for a sustainable future! Practicing what we preach, we want to warmly invite you to co-create with us and submit a proposal for your contribution to two session formats at the Higher Education Summit! The Call for Contributions is open until 6 October.
oikos Academy
The Higher Education Summit will mark the highlight of a full month of transforming education, which puts students at the center, fostering a learner-driven drive in this transformation. The oikos Academy starts on 20 October 2023 and involves several onsite events with oikos chapters. It is a change lab that brings together students, professors, university management and additional stakeholders in higher education. The oikos Academy connects local initiatives on higher education with global peers. Students from oikos chapters (Barcelona, Delhi, Graz, Jamshedpur, Kano, St. Andrews) co-create and collaborate, facilitating interactive dialogue with their university management, professors and other stakeholders, fostering regenerative learning, while receiving coaching from LEAP researchers. LEAP is a program within the oikos Leadership Initiative which focuses on supporting personal and professional development of early career researchers – master and PhD students. From June to December 2023 LEAP Researchers participants will support oikos Chapters through hosting workshops, coaching and mentoring.