Spires, plateaus and the infertile landscape of Education for Sustainable Development: re-invigorating the university through integrating community, campus and curriculum

Education for and research on sustainable development are currently not well served by the modern university, particularly in the UK. While there is rhetoric about supporting more interdisciplinary research and teaching the modern university system favours individual 'spires of excellence' within strict disciplinary boundaries. Interdisciplinary and multiple-authored work are viewed as 'intellectual plateaus' and of lesser value. However, there are examples of innovative models, such as the "community, campus and curriculum" one. This model is examined for its potential to re-orientate the modern university to produce and share knowledge that is 'fit for purpose' for the challenges and opportunities of sustainability.