Sustainable development in education

The Policy for Sustainable Development is the basis for the University’s work on environmental issues and sustainability. The policy states the University’s ambition to be a driving force for sustainable development and to set the course for our approach to sustainability in general. In the field of education, the policy specifies that all students are to acquire subject-relevant knowledge of sustainable development through their education and training, which they can take with them into working life.

Read more about the Policy for Sustainable Development – sustainability.lu.se
 

Visions for education and student participation:

• All students acquire knowledge and understanding of sustainable development and how their programmes relate to this, and thereby contribute expertise in their future roles in society.
• Continuing professional development within sustainable development is provided for all employees at Lund University.

• The University supports student initiatives in sustainable development and there are opportunities for students to participate in efforts to achieve the goals of the strategy.

  Read more about Visions for sustainable development – sustainability.lu.se
   

The Sustainability Plan includes six goals that focus on education for sustainability, with seven associated activities. The goals and activities cover first, second and third-cycle education. The Sustainability Plan was revised in 2022 (the first version had three objectives focusing on education) and will be revised again in 2024. 

Sustainability Plan Lund University 2020-2026, revised 2023 (PDF 3,8 MB, new tab)

Lund University has adopted a policy for quality assurance and quality development of education with eleven criteria focused on education, one of which focuses on sustainable development specifically: Subject-relevant perspectives regarding sustainable development are to be promoted in education. This is followed up annually.

Policy for quality assurance and quality enhancement of education at Lund University (PDF, 230 kB, new tab, in Swedish)
 

Lund University's courses and study programmes are to meet the needs that emerge as society changes. While education and training programmes must be adaptable and flexible, they must also be sustainable in terms of content, both in terms of applying sustainability perspectives and by building on core subject knowledge and transferable skills. Knowledge, education and training help to provide a firm existential foundation that equips us for social change and transformation and as such, education is a part of existential sustainability. 

Lund University’s strategy for first and second-cycle education for 2023-2024 (PDF, 306kB, new tab)

Introductory course to sustainability, with no particular focus on education. This course is for everyone who wants to learn more about sustainability, including teaching staff who want to include sustainability in their teaching.

• Format/institution responsible: MOOC/Faculty of Science
• Duration: 19 hours
• Access: Global, unlimited participants

• To the course

This course is suitable for everyone who wants to learn more about sustainability and governance, including teaching staff who want to include sustainability in their teaching. The course is offered during the spring term.

• Format/institution responsible: Online course/Faculty of Social Sciences
• Duration: 12 hours of seminars plus 3-day workshop
• Access: For doctoral students (priority is given to the Development Research School), postdocs and other staff subject to availability.

• To the course
   

This course ran in spring 2022 and no reiteration has been planned, but information and material from the seminar series is available on the AHU website.

• Format/institution responsible: Seminars/Division for Higher Education Development
• Duration: 12 hours of seminars, 40 hours in total
• Access: Teaching staff (Also open to other staff at LU and staff of other universities/higher education institutions subject to availability)

The course is available via Canvas. The course is also available as a compendium with self-study material.

• Format/institution responsible: Online course/Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies
• Duration: 10-15 hours
• Access: LU staff, unlimited participants

• To the course compendium (PDF, 1,3 MB, new tab)

Focus on learning for sustainability/teaching and learning. More information about the course can be found on the Faculty of Science website. Available as a shorter or longer version according to demand. The workshops can be attended without taking the whole course. Next opportunity to take the course is to be determined.

• Format/institution responsible: Workshops/Faculty of Science
• Duration: 12 hours of workshops (short version)
• Access: Priority for teachers at the Faculty of Science, but open to other faculties, subject to availability.

This course focuses on teaching for sustainability and pedagogy. Next opportunity to take the course is spring 2025. More information about the course can be found on the Faculty of Engineering (LTH) website. 

• Format/institution responsible: Seminars/Faculty of Engineering, Centre for Engineering Education
• Duration: 80 hours, including 12 hours of seminars
• Access: Priority for teachers at the Faculty of Engineering, but open to other faculties subject to availability. Entry requirement: introduction to pedagogy or similar course.

This course focuses on teaching for sustainability and pedagogy. Next opportunity to take the course is spring 2025. More information about the course can be found on Karlstad University's Canvas-page. 

• Format/institution responsible: Online course, facilitated by the Sustainability Forum and the Division for Higher Education Development from spring semester 2024 onwards
• Duration: 80 hours, of which 40 hours are lectures
• Access: Open to all teaching staff at Lund University.

• To the course

This is a thematic course focused on teaching for sustainability, open to everyone seeking to work on integrating sustainability into their teaching practice. Next opportunity to take the course is autumn semester 2024. 

• Format/institution responsible: seminars/ Division for Higher Education Development (AHU)
• Duration: 40 hours.
• Access: Teaching staff at Lund University. Entry requirements: introduction to pedagogy or similar course, or previous teaching experience.

More information about the course can be found here: https://www.ahu.lu.se/en/courses/integrating-sustainability-competencies-in-curriculum/

This is a thematic course open to teaching staff seeking to introduce more inclusive forms of teaching and examination. Next opportunity to take the course is autumn semester 2024.  

• Format/institution responsible: seminars/the course is a collaboration between the Unit for Educational Services and the Centre for Engineering Education (CEE)
• Duration: 40 hours.

• Access: Teaching staff at Lund University (no entry requirements).

  More information about the course can be found here:https://www.ahu.lu.se/en/courses/inclusive-classroom/