Sustainability as a component in every curriculum
A second blog post has been completed by Helen Sooväli-Sepping, Vice-Rector for Sustainable Development. This one focuses on sustainable development of the university so far and what to expect in the future.
January marked the end of one year of strategic development of sustainable development at Tallinn University. The fact that the Senate approved the decision to add a sustainable development component to all university curriculums is definitely the biggest achievement thus far.
We are the first university in Estonia to make a real contribution to the balanced development in the field of sustainability through educational activities.
We will introduce an innovation in all university curricula so that the specialty subjects of the curriculum include “acquisition and application of the principles of sustainability in everyday life and research and creative activities” (§ 4 (2) 6). This means that Tallinn University takes responsibility for teaching sustainable development from a social, ecological, economic and cultural perspective. We are the first university in Estonia to make a real contribution to the balanced development in the field of sustainability through educational activities. However, the change in the curriculum is only the first milestone - there is still a long way to go!
What does this decision mean for academic staff? Many of us are already teaching science in the field of sustainable development. In this case, it is worth thinking for a moment how to present the sustainability component in the existing course even more clearly or how to mark sustainability in students' dissertations. However, for those who do not have knowledge in this field, we plan to open up opportunities for in-service training soon.