Introducing Education for Sustainable Development-Challenges for Students and Teachers

Networking and internationalisation among institutions of higher education can improve the opportunities and critical mass for partnerships in projects, and so provide a platform to widen the educational offer and develop new areas such as sustainable development. Dedicated university networks also offer their partners activities such as common seminars and courses, competence development and institutional change. In addition, networks can function as platforms for individual contacts at all levels, including students and teachers. One example from our region is the Baltic University Programme network which supports universities in their work to integrate sustainability in education, research, and management, and where researchers, teachers, and students cooperate at a macro-regional level. The BUP is a strategic partner of the Council of Baltic Sea States, and a Flagship project under the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region to support enhanced university cooperation in the region. Current challenges for higher education include lifelong learning, diversified student groups, partnerships and internationalisation. Regarding sustainable development the challenges for education and research point at certain critical points, such as multidisciplinarity, systems thinking and the involvement of uncertainty and risk. Institutions of higher education are also important actors and role models in their societies. Much has been achieved, but still the work for sustainable development seems like a patchwork, and at all levels much remains to be done.