PROJECTS (Re)presented at ActSHEN Workshop on October 15, 2013.

PROJECTS (Re)presented at ActSHEN Workshop

on October 15, 2013

Action for Sustainability in Higher Education in the Nordic CountriesDuration: 2013-2016, funded by a grant from Nordplus. Project partners are the University of Iceland, Iceland Academy of Arts and Helsinki University. Project led from UU by Isak Stoddard, CEMUS and Dr. David Kronlid, Department of Education.

Aim: Develop a model and guidelines for working with sustainability in higher education in different contexts with an emphasis on student-driven initiatives. Outcomes

• Mapping, analyzing and influencing policies of education for sustainability in cases from Nordic higher education and to analyse examples of good practice.

• The development of student-run courses for sustainability based on identified principles and running them in selected settings.

• The creation of a Nordic Network on student-driven initiatives and action for sustainability in Higher Education.

Coordination of Active Student Participation at UUDuration: 2014–2016, funded by Vice Chancellor of Uppsala University (strategic funds). Partners are the Unit for Quality Enhancement and Academic Teaching and Learning (KUUP). Project initiated by Isak Stoddard and Daniel Mossberg at CEMUS along with a large number of teachers, researchers and students at the university.

Aim: To support and inspire the development of initiatives where students take an active role in the creation of higher education. Outcomes

• A mapping of the many forms that succesful active student participation can take.

• Forums for discussion across faculties/domains on how students can be a resource in each others learning as well as in the creation of higher education.

• Develop structures and forms of support for continued work with the coordination of active student participation.

Mapping the future of/in ESDDuration: autumn 2013, funded by a grant from Forum för ämnesdidaktiska studier, Uppsala UniversityProject led by Jakob Grandin and Malin Östman, together with partners from from eg. Department of Education and SWEDESD.

Aim: To review didactic research in Education for Sustainable Development and how it relates to contemporary perspectives and sustainability challenges (complexity, resilience, creativity, transformative learning, etc.).Objectives

•1–2 published scientific papers on Education for Sustainable Development

•Findings discussed at relevant conferences

•Results implemented in relevant teachers’ training courses

•Environment for teaching and learning about Sustainable Development in Uppsala strengthened

Regional Centre of Expertise on ESDDuration: future, (Partners: CSD Uppsala, Department of Education, Uppsala municipality, Knivsta municipality, Folkuniversitetet i Uppsala, [RUC Uppsala])Development project led by Sara Andersson, Misol Kim.

Aim: The aim of RCE Uppsala is to be a next generation platform for collaboration between academic and nonacademic institutions and organizations on transformative learning for sustainable futures. It will be a problem based platform that aims at providing a practice oriented yet research laden common frame of reference for innovative, transformative and collaborative ESD initiatives in the region.Objectives:

•joint projects, where participants will learn about and for sustainable development through interaction and active participation

• development of tools and processes for multi stakeholder interaction and collective intelligence/knowledge creation (social learning)

•An interactive website that serves as a portal for actors working within the region

OTHER PROJECTS At CEMUS and with other partners in

Uppsala, 2013 and beyond

Uppsala UN Summits – Sustainable Development Goals and the Future of AcademiaDuration: 2013-2015, by order of Vice Chancellor of UU. Partners include the communicationsdepartment and a large number of researchers at UU and SLU.Project involvement from Isak Stoddard, Jakob Grandin, Neil Powell and Paula Lindroos at CSD Uppsala.

Aim: To organize five interdisciplinary conferences on the themes of Energy, Health, Governance, Environmental Sustainability and the future of academia in connection to the UN post 2015 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Some objectives:

• The creation of sustained transdisciplinary forums for discussion and action on important issues of sustainability involving researchers, teachers, students, practioneers, the public and more..

• Uppsala University moves closer to becoming a world-leading institution that actively works to create a better world.

Sustainability Case LibraryDuration: 2012–2013, funded by a grant from the Division for Development of Teaching and LearningProject led by Jakob Grandin and Johan Älvgren, with contributions from case authors

Aim: To use the case methodology to promote active learning for sustainable development, where students apply their knowledge to real world problems and develop critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills.

Outcomes

•a growing collection of cases that can be used and adapted for teaching and learning at different departments, on themes such as international climate negotiations, parliamentary energy policy processes, mining in Sweden and participation in municipal energy planning in Uppsala

•a teacher's guide that briefly introduces the case methodology

www.csduppsala.uu.se/sustainabilitycases

FramtidsakademinDuration: 2005–, funded by CEMUS UGA and Folkuniversitetet (2012 TekNat Samverkan provided extra funding)Project led by Karin Östman Modig, with contributions from Sara Andersson and staff at Folkuniversitetet

Aim: To provide popular science lectures on the most up to date research topics within sustainable development to the general public in Uppsala. And to provide a space for researchers to interact with the public.Outcomes

• ten open lectures every year, divided into two themed series (spring and fall). So far circa 100 lectures attended by several thousand.

• current theme: “future generations”

• spring theme: “Sweden – the most sustainable country in the world?”

http://www.csduppsala.uu.se/forum/framtidsakademin/

Conferences and open lectures/eventsDuration: ongoing, funded by CEMUS UGA and – to some extent - CEFO (supplementary grants have been received from other sources (TekNat Samverkan, Gender and Equality) Project led by Sara Andersson and Christopher Wegweiser (often with help from CEMUS staff and students)

Aim: To open up spaces for formal and informal collaborative learning for Sustainable Development and to allow for other perspectives and participants than the courses allow. To lower barriers between universities and community. To strengthen skills, knowledge and tools for Sustainable Development,Objectives

• 1-2 annual symposiums/conferences on Sustainable Development related topic and/or ESD

• 5-10 open lectures

• Uppsala Sustainability Month (program open for other actors as well)

• 1-2 events that improves student’s social and learning environment

Student ProjectsDuration: ongoing, funded by CEMUS UGA (and possibly students and sponsors that students find)Project led by Christopher Wegweiser, Sara Andersson and course coordinators at CEMUS

Aim: To provide opportunities for students to engage in, and find solutions to, “real” sustainability issues that they find important. Allow for a “learning by doing” approach to sustainability. To build bridges to community actors and organizations. To empower students.

Outcomes

• CEMUS Forum as a student project platform.

• projects within courses that connect to community

• projects that has a longer life span

REALS (Resilient and Ecological Approaches for Living Sustainably)Duration: 2013–2016, funded by Swedish Institute. Project owned and coordinated by Permaculture Sweden. CEMUS is a project partner. Other partners are: Greenelizer (Sweden), the Russian “Ecovillage” and Eco-initiative Network REEN, Department of Sustainable Development at the St.Petersburg State University, as well as the EcoHome and Ecoproject, voluntary organizations with established networks within the Belarusian Green Movement. At CSD Uppsala, the project is managed by Christopher Wegweiser and Sara Andersson

Aim: To create networks and intercultural learning between Sweden, Russia and Belarus, with a focus on socio-ecological resilience and sustainable lifestyles. In addition, the project is held as a Flagship under the EU Strategy of the Baltic Sea Region, under its Horizontal Action “Sustainable Development”. Outcomes

• cross-sectorial and international networks within field

•thematic workshops in partner countries and open source data gathering

•opportunities for students and researchers to become part of network and initiate joint studies and projects