Greening the Minds: Universities, Climate Leadership, and Sustainable Futures

Over the course of the past decade, the tripartite threats of environmental degradation, natural resource depletion, and climate change have given rise to a newly motivated sustainability movement - a movement that has both emerged from and firmly taken root in institutions of higher education. But, while some universities have been on the cutting edge of climate and environmental science, most universities still have a hard time adopting the practice of sustainability education and sustainability management in a broad and comprehensive way. 'Green Campus Initiatives' have proven extremely effective in leading universities toward energy efficiency and sustainable living, but linking these initiatives effectively with advances in sustainability curriculum in ways that address the interdisciplinary and holistic challenges of climate change have proven difficult. There are, however, more and more examples of integrated approaches that cut across disciplines and make sustainability one of the primary objectives of teaching, learning, and living, and it is now clear that the very real pressures of creating more comprehensive, sustainable futures through university education is becoming one of the key components of higher education institutions across the globe.

Session 463 will thus provide an international forum for professors, educators, administrators and other relevant professionals to compare curricula, conservation and energy efficiency projects, and to explore the role of universities as sites for the advancement of comprehensive, sustainable futures education. How can universities more fully integrate sustainability into their institutional DNA? Where are the barriers? Where do universities currently fall short in educating students with a holistic approach to climate change and sustainable futures? What can universities do to address these issues through and across the curriculum? How can universities create a comprehensive road map toward sustainable futures? This session will also serve as an opportunity to explore the creation of the "Salzburg Winter Academy on Sustainable Futures", a program that will draw on the outcomes of this session to involve students and faculty from a broad spectrum of international partner universities beginning in 2010.

The fee for this session is 3,300 EURO. The fee covers the cost of the program, accommodations, and meals. Limited scholarship funding may be available for those who are unable to pay the full fee (i.e. from developing countries or NGOs). Participants seeking scholarship assistance must submit an application for financial aid to our admissions office.