Network launched to increase Education for Sustainable Development

UCL students Staff and students are invited to register for the first meeting of UCL's new Education for Sustainable Development Network on 4 May 2023. A new network is being launched in May for staff who are already practising education for sustainable development (ESD) within their courses to share their experience with others, and for those who want support in embedding ESD in their programmes. The event is also open to students at UCL who want to contribute to UCL's ambitions to increase ESD. A UCL ESD Steering Group, made up of academic and professional services staff from across the institution was set up to help progress UCL's commitment that 'every student will have the opportunity to study and be involved in sustainability by 2024'. As part of this work, the group established an ESD network to help share best practise from across the university and prevent duplication of work. Professor Jane Holder (UCL Laws), Chair of the UCL ESD Steering Group, said: "Through the Steering Group we have discovered a vast array of exceptional work already taking place across the institution to embed sustainable development into the curriculum, our induction programmes and the provision of extra-curricular opportunities for our students. "We hope the network will provide staff with the opportunity to share their innovative examples of ESD so we can learn from each other." The group has defined ESD as encouraging the development of competencies and skills through curricular and extra-curricular activities that will enable students to address the challenges of sustainable development in their lives beyond UCL, such as critical thinking and collaboration, and supporting the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).