Greening higher education: Transforming competences and practices

The COP28 session “Greening higher education: Transforming competences and practices” will highlight the different roles, responsibilities, and potentials of higher education in promoting the achievement of all the SDGs in connection with and with an emphasis on SDG 13. It will also define and describe the process by which sustainability competencies can be integrated into all degree programs, knowledge production and sharing, science, technology, and innovation transfer at the higher education level.

UNESCO IESALC, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and University of Helsinki, along with other Greening Higher Education partners, will come together in moving forward the conversation of good policies and practices towards future implementation of concrete actions, with a focus on the Global South.

Additionally, will share challenges, good practices, and actions for moving forward in greening higher education carried out by UN agencies, civil society, the private sector, the public sector, youth, students, and academia.

UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28)  will work to bring the world together to reach an agreement on audacious, realistic, and ambitious solutions to the most serious global issue of our time during this pivotal decade for climate action.

COP stands for “Conference of the Parties,” which is a generic term in international relations for a committee formed after an international treaty is signed and charged with making decisions about how that treaty will be implemented.

Several UNESCO policies have called for a transformation toward sustainability through education and there is growing understanding that universities play a key role in achieving the Paris targets, emphasizing the imperative for universities to intensify their efforts and innovate their approaches in training the next generation of leaders and change-makers.

Objectives

Mobilizing the strengths and insights of different stakeholders within the space of greening higher education, this event aims to provide the following main objectives:

● To highlight the different roles, responsibilities, and potentials of higher education in promoting the achievement of all the SDGs in connection to and with an emphasis on SDG 13.

● To define and describe the process where sustainability competences can be integrated into all degree programmes, knowledge production and sharing, science technology and innovation transfer at higher education level.

● To share challenges, good practices and actions forward in greening higher education carried out by UN agencies, civil society, private sector, public sector, youth, students, and Academia.

Date: 6 December 2023

Location: Greening Education Hub, Green Zone

Venue: Expo City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Time: 17h00 – 18h00 (Dubai, GMT+4)

Language: English

Mode: On Site and online: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkcemgqjopHden7XOMRNobDa_d-wn7DMvV

Concept Note and Agenda here

Please note that accessing the Green Zone will require you to have a blue zone badge or to register through this platform and please make sure you enter from Mobility Gate. Additionally, it will require you to Register for the session at https://erthzayed.com/agenda/ ( Day 7, session title: Greening Higher Education: Transforming Competences and Practices ).