Sustainable University Leadership and Governance. Towards the 2030 Agenda

Target audience: 
Authorities from higher education institutions, such as rectors, presidents, vice-chancellors, directors, deans and steering committees

Duration:
40 hours

Modalidad

Modality: 
Hybrid: virtual and face-to-face modality 

Virtual modality with synchronous activities and technical assistance 

idioma

Language:  
Spanish

Certificación

Certification: 
Final certification and digital credentials associated with each programme module 

Description

Higher education institutions play a fundamental role in the training of future professionals, responding to global challenges and a changing world. International, governmental and sectoral agreements have accorded on this challenge and committed to support the transition towards university sustainability, identifying mobilizing actions to be undertaken in order to ensure quality education, to collaborate in reducing the degradation of the natural environment, to promote regeneration, ecosystem care and the permanence of humanity. 

To encourage students to become agents of change who have the knowledge, the means, the will and the courage to take transformative actions towards sustainable development, educational institutions must transform themselves. Therefore, the institution as a whole needs to be aligned with the principles of sustainable development, in order to reinforce their learning content and pedagogies by the way in which facilities are managed and decisions are made internally. This holistic institutional approach to Education for Sustainable Development requires learning environments in which learners learn what they live and live what they learn. 

Therefore, Laspau together with UNESCO IESALC, in its mission to promote this transformation process from a sustainable perspective and culture, we offer the course “Leadership and sustainable university governance. Road to the 2030 Agenda”, aimed at rectors of higher education institutions, providing a space for dialogue and work, to strengthen the commitments made by member states with Agenda 2030 and enable compliance and measurement of progress.

Therefore, Laspau together with UNESCO IESALC, in its mission to promote this transformation process from a sustainable perspective and culture, we offer this course aimed at rectors of higher education institutions, providing a space for dialogue and work, to strengthen the commitments made by member states with Agenda 2030 and enable compliance and measurement of progress.

The institution as a whole needs to be aligned with the principles of sustainable development, so that the content of learning and its pedagogies are reinforced by the way facilities are managed and decisions are made internally.  This holistic institutional approach to Education for Sustainable Development calls for learning environments in which learners learn what they live and live what they learn.

This is why it is necessary to identify a roadmap that allows the authorities and the entire university community,  to carry out good practices oriented to their materialization and measurement, through actions that are clearly aimed at achieving the promotion of the SDGs and thus comply with the 2030 Agenda.

This hybrid course will include face-to-face activities in Cambridge, where for three days the participating rectors will attend lectures and workshops, led by international experts, to reflect on their strategic plans and deepen their collective awareness aimed at promoting a sustainable culture. The experience will be aimed at developing a space for dialogue and exchange of knowledge and best practices and thus deepen what is Sustainability, what is Education for Sustainable Development, as well as the signing of an institutional agreement to achieve the commitments contained in the 2030 Agenda.

Subsequently, during 8 weeks, an institutional team composed of the rector and up to two people, will have the advice of a mentor to accompany them in a process of collective construction and reformulation of their Strategic Plan, along with a virtual training on the IESALC campus, where a model of social and collaborative learning will be developed, strengthening the network of universities for Sustainability.

Download Course Program

For more information contact: soporte@campusiesalc.org

Objetives

  • Guide university governing bodies in understanding the opportunities offered by the SDGs and what steps should be taken to implement them to meet the 2030 Agenda. 
  • Provide knowledge and solutions that support the implementation of the SDGs at the university. 
  • Incorporate the principles of the SDGs through governance, management and university culture.
  • Learn about conceptual and methodological frameworks to promote the SDGs within the university and the 2030 Agenda
  • Identify and analyze good practices carried out by other universities in the areas of training, research, institutional management and university extension.
  • Encourage peer-to-peer learning and cooperation on sustainability issues.​
  • Contribute to the design of an Implementation Plan as a roadmap with solid activities aimed at achieving the commitments made in the 2030 Agenda and incorporating the SDGs into the university’s strategies, policies and plans.

Modules

Throughout the different modules, activities aimed at the design of the Strategic Sustainable Project will be implemented and based on the contextual information of each university. The final result will be a roadmap for measuring the scope of actions in relation to the SDGs and its Implementation Plan for the Strategic Sustainable Project at the university.

Module 1. Sustainability at the heart of university strategy

The development of a need for a fairer and more inclusive world. Therefore, this module on sustainable culture requires a clear awareness that it will focus on developing a space for dialogue to deepen what is Sustainability, what is Education for Sustainable Development, the 2030 Agenda with the SDGs, the relationship with stakeholders and material issues.

Objectives:

  • Establish the importance of sustainability as a transversal articulating axis in the strategy of HEIs from the ESD framework.
  • To delve deeper into the SDGs and the value of universities in achieving them.
  • Develop a change management framework with agile methodologies to identify material issues and stakeholder engagement.
  • Align the strategy with the national regulatory framework of University Social Responsibility. Rights and obligations.

Module 2. Accelerating the SDGs in Universities

Addressing the challenges of the SDGs requires new knowledge, new ways of doing things, making difficult choices between contrasting options and, in some cases, profound transformations.

This module provides a clear vision of how universities can contribute to the implementation of the SDGs through their own functions: education, research, action and social leadership.

Objetives:

  • Conduct a self-diagnosis of the activities carried out at the university itself itself using the RESIES tool.
  • Recognize strategies to integrate sustainability in a transversal way in teaching, research, innovation and extension in order to contribute to the 2030 Agenda.
  • Understand the importance of stakeholder engagement, communication and dissemination in order to contribute to the SDGs.
  • Learn about inspiring cases: integrating sustainability into HEI strategy (VIRTUAL VISITS)

Module 3: Governance and sustainable leadership

A sustainability initiative implies major transformations, common to the activities of a higher education institution. These require a strong institutional commitment, as well as governance structures that enable the effective participation of the institution’s various stakeholders and the coordination of sustainability efforts.

Objectives:

  • Analyze how high-level strategies, policies, plans and reporting indicators align with the SDGs and identify which organizational units are relevant to each other.
  • Incorporate the SDGs as a result of conscious integration with the strategies, structures, status and specific challenges of each university to generate value in society.
  • Strengthen the strategic development plan with sustainability from a conceptual framework for the implementation and contribution to society from the 2030 agenda.
  • Recognize the importance of monitoring and measurement that contributes to decision making and value generation for all stakeholders.

Module 4. Challenges and pathways to 2050 

Universities are often large entities and can have a significant impact on the social, cultural and environmental welfare aspects within their campuses, communities and regions, and sometimes far beyond. These impacts relate directly to all areas of the SDGs and by acting responsibly universities can make significant contributions to their achievement. 

Leveraging their unique position within society, universities, both individually and collectively, can help lead, guide, and support local, national, and international responses to the SDGs. 

Objectives:

  • Identify the main opportunities and challenges in the training of tomorrow’s leaders and today’s citizens.
  • Reflect on the trends in higher education and the paths towards 2050. 
  • Integrate the value of strategic alliances and knowledge networks. Global Network EDS for 2030.
  • Implement the UNESCO ESD Roadmap 2030. 



For further information, please contact: soporte@campusiesalc.org