Universidad Simón Bolívar, Colombia

Academic Path for Sustainable Development

Higher education institutions can do many things for sustainable development, however the best contribution they can make is to take advantage of the critical mass of students to develop knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours necessary for sustainable development, through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

ESD empowers people to change the way they think and work towards a sustainable future. Individuals are encouraged to be responsible to face or solve any challenge, respect cultural diversity, and contribute to create a more sustainable world.

Academic path for sustainable development at Simon Bolívar University is a strategy focused on that goal. In addition, understanding teachers as key actors in this path a plan that includes awareness and qualification activities has been included so that they may adapt the courses they teach, in such a way that they address the lesson about sustainability, regardless of the subject.

Top 3 Learnings

1. Based on the materiality analysis carried out, in which different interest groups were involved, it is observed that students consider the issue of sustainable development to be of great importance and a priority in the comprehensive training of current and future generations. It is necessary for Higher Education Institutions to take advantage of their resources and capacities, and on the other, to articulate themselves to achieve a greater impact.
2. The commitment and active participation of the directors of the organizations is essential to achieve success in projects associated with sustainable development. This commitment must be documented through the policies and other documents of the institutional government to guarantee its execution. In the case of the Simón Bolívar University, for instance, the commitment was made explicit in the Institutional Educational Project, in the social responsibility policy and in the coordination of the current Strategic Development Plan with the Sustainable Development Goals.
3. ESD is a fundamental tool to generate in individuals’ knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours for sustainable development.