Environmental degradation, economic and political threats along with ideological extremism necessitate a global redirection toward sustainability and well-being. Since the…
Abstract
Environmental degradation, economic and political threats along with ideological extremism necessitate a global redirection toward sustainability and well-being. Since the survival of all species (humans, animals, and plants) is wholly dependent on a healthy planet, urgent action at the highest levels to address large-scale interconnected problems is needed to counter the thinking that perpetuates the “folly of a limitless world.” Paralleling critical societal roles played by universities – ancient, medieval, and modern – throughout the millennia, this chapter calls for all universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) generally – estimated at over 28,000 – to take a lead together in tackling the pressing complex and intractable challenges that face us. There are about 250 million students in tertiary education worldwide rising to about 600 million by 2040. Time is not on our side. While much of the groundwork has been done by the United Nations (UN) and civil society, concerns remain over the variable support given to the UN-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in light of the negative impact of global biodiversity loss on achieving the UN-2030 SDGs. Ten propositions for global sustainability, ranging from adopting the SDGs at national and local levels to ensuring peaceful uses of technology and UN reforms in line with global socioeconomic shifts, are provided for consideration by decisionmakers. Proposition #7 calls for the unifying One Health & Well-Being (OHWB) concept to become the cornerstone of our educational systems as well as societal institutions and to underpin the UN-2030 SDGs. Recognizing the need to change our worldview (belief systems) from human-centrism to eco-centrism, and re-building of trust in our institutions, the chapter argues for the re-conceptualization of the university/higher education purpose and scope focusing on the development of an interconnected ecological knowledge system with a concern for the whole Earth – and beyond. The 2019 novel coronavirus has made clear that the challenges facing our world cannot be solved by individual nations alone and that there is an urgency to committing to shared global values that reflect the OHWB concept and approach. By drawing on our collective experience and expertise informed by the UN-2030 SDGs, we will be in a much stronger position to shape and strengthen multilateral strategies to achieve the UN-2030 Transformative Vision – “ending poverty, hunger, inequality and protecting the Earth’s natural resources,” and thereby helping “to save the world from itself.”
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Describes how an institution in Canada attempted to broaden staff understanding of two telecommunications media, videoteleconferencing and telecourse delivery, by establishing…
Abstract
Describes how an institution in Canada attempted to broaden staff understanding of two telecommunications media, videoteleconferencing and telecourse delivery, by establishing provisional systems or opportunities to trial new ideas based on the temporary educational systems (TES) typology, suggested by Bergquist (1992), and the Concerns‐Based Adoption model (CBAM), following Hall and Hord (1987). Referencing the case examples, contemporary literature and in the light of the UK National (Dearing) Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education’s report (1997), deduces implications for implementing future projects and identifies factors to consider in the development of communications and information technology (C&IT) strategies for learning and teaching.
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Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger and Craig Mahoney
There has been growing concern among international agencies and the corporate world regarding the question of sustainability and how long we can preserve our planet and ensure…
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There has been growing concern among international agencies and the corporate world regarding the question of sustainability and how long we can preserve our planet and ensure just and balanced development for all. Non-governmental organizations, labor leaders, faith-based organizations, religious leaders, and other civil society representatives play a crucial and diverse set of roles in societal development. At the same time, institutions imparting higher education are engaging in debates and quality research work to gauge the need of our current generation with a vision to meet the need of the future generation. Such lofty dreams can only be achieved if we respect the natural systems and the international standards designed to protect the core social and environmental values. Sustainability education is becoming crucial, mainly for students so that they are aware of concepts such as economic prosperity, resource equity, energy uses, and environmental health and concerns (Sengupta, Blessinger, & Yamin, 2019). In this context, the role of higher education along with civil society is critical. Being a part of society, they need to contribute by addressing the common problems so that they make our younger generations aware of the issues and help them create and flourish in an environment and ecosystem which is healthy. There has been a growing appetite among the educational institutions to receive information, examples, and case studies mainly from the environmental and economic perspective which could help the faculty to impart knowledge to the students. The purpose of this book is to explore different angles from sustainability corporate social responsibility and the role of civil society in the context of education. The chapters in this book gives us an insight into the prevalent literature as well talk about interventions and case studies that have contributed toward the growth of this genre. This book will help in reorienting curriculum, develop programs and modules, implement innovative teaching methods, and integrate such topics in their educational programs.
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Gitachari Srikanthan and John F. Dalrymple
This paper aims to develop an overarching basis to consider issues of quality in higher education.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop an overarching basis to consider issues of quality in higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
An attempt is made to synthesise different approaches to management in higher education.
Findings
The article concludes that it is possible to synthesise a model, based on existing literature, to uniquely address higher education.
Research limitations/implications
The model developed is a conceptual one as emphasised by the title.
Originality/value
Provides a thought framework for addressing the quality issues in higher education.