Sustainability issues in education

Sustainability plays a major role in our university's strategy and educational vision. Research among Radboud students also shows that they want to work much more with sustainability and other social issues in their education. But how do you put this into practice? This page provides the support and guidance on how to integrate sustainability goals into your teaching.

FutureMakers model

In 2024, consultancy firm Youngworks conducted research among Radboud University students. Key questions were: What typifies the current generation of Radboud University students? What do they find important? What do they want to mean to society, now and in their professional future? And how can Radboud University support them in this?

Based on Youngworks' findings, the FutureMakers model ('ToekomstMakers') was formulated. What the model makes clearly visible is that making social impact is a motivation that typifies our current generation of students. Use the insights from the model and explore the possibilities to connect with this in your education.

Tools for educational design

Sustainability involves more than just ecological change. It is also about social and economic changes in the world.
Sustainability issues require different, new, competences from our students: creativity, interdisciplinarity, systems thinking.
Weaving sustainability issues integrally into the curriculum calls for educational (re)design and educational innovation.

Toolkit 'You Have a Part to play'

This toolkit aims to provide educational innovators in higher education - teachers and coordinators, for example, but also students or education directors - with tools to give sustainability a firmer place in their educational programmes. This toolkit was developed by the Radboud University project team ‘You Have a Part to Play’, made possible by the Comenius programme of the National Education Research Agency.

The toolkit contains different formats to deploy for different purposes, including useful discussion cards to help teachers formulate strong learning objectives that connect different sustainability themes (under the scope of the 18 Sustainable Development Goals) with the competency domains of Higher Education for Sustainability.

View the toolkit

Co-creating education

Students and lecturers can complement each other well when designing a course. Teachers know how to develop a course and students have knowledge of the curriculum and know what they need in their learning process. In the video, Bernard van Gastel and Marie-Sophie Simon demonstrate the power of co-creating education.

Workshops and courses for educational developers

Workshop ‘You Have a Part to Play'

Based on the toolkit ‘You Have a Part to Play’, you will work in five meetings on redesigning your education and embedding sustainability goals in your teaching. Step by step, you will be guided in exploring the profile of an education programme in relation to sustainability, formulating learning objectives and defining learning activities and assessment. The duration of the workshop series is six months and the time investment is approximately 24 hours (including meetings).

Beyond Content course

How do you really make a difference in your education? This course will give you pointers on how to make your education more impactful by considering the principles of sustainable development. During the course, you will discuss why education and science should be the main drivers for sustainability. It also suggests ways to equip students not only with the required knowledge, but also with the necessary skills for the future. The course provides food for thought and space for discussion and consists of two meetings over two months. The time investment is about 5 hours (including meetings).

Exchange ideas with colleagues and follow along

Both Programme Sustainability and the Radboud Teaching and Learning Centre facilitate activities with and for teachers. The aim of the activities is to encourage exchange and connection and increase impact in our teaching.

Special Interest Group (SIG) Sustainability

The Sustainability SIG believes it is important to fulfil our responsibility as a higher education institution to promote sustainable development. This SIG provides the space and place to join forces, share ideas, projects and ambitions and engage with each other in a community of practice to work towards these goals.

Radboud Centre for Sustainability Challenges

The Radboud Centre for Sustainability Challenges (RCSC) is the hub for all research and education related to sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. RCSC's work includes interdisciplinary activities in the field of education.

Contact

Want to get started with sustainability issues in your education, but don't know how yet? We can always brainstorm! Jaap Rohof (Project leader sustainability in education) is happy to think along with you and connect you with colleagues.

Contact person

J. Rohof (Jaap)