Shaping the future: Teaching Day at the University of Paderborn on the topic of sustainability!

Shaping the future: Teaching Day at the University of Paderborn on the topic of sustainability!

On Tuesday, June 3rd, Teaching Day will take place for the 13th time at the University of Paderborn. Under the motto “Teaching for Future – Sustainable teaching and teaching about sustainability”, the event offers a platform for teachers and students to exchange information about the integration of sustainability into teaching. Scientists, students and the interested public are expected to work together on this important topic. Registration is open until Monday, May 26th to take part in this important event.

At 10 a.m. Prof. Dr. Beate Flath, Vice President for Teaching, Studies and Quality Management, celebrated Teaching Day. A central keynote speech will be given by Prof. Dr. Matthias Barth, President of the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development. He will speak on the topic “Sustainability, education and all the rest. Why sustainability is not an issue for universities”. This speech is sure to provide stimulating discussions.

Diverse program items

The program includes a variety of events that are specifically designed to promote the topic of sustainability in university teaching. This includes a panel discussion, interdisciplinary round tables, workshops and a poster session. The university didactic “DisQspace” also offers an opportunity to interact directly with the content. Another highlight will be the awarding of the sponsorship prize for innovation and quality improvement in teaching as well as the teaching prize for young scientists.

The organization of the event is in the hands of the Educational Innovations and University Didactics Department, which deals intensively with the promotion of sustainable educational approaches.

Sustainability in university teaching

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a central concern in university teaching and enables students to think and act in a future-proof manner. According to information from network n ESD enables a systemic analysis of the ecological, social, economic and cultural dimensions of sustainable development.

A current initiative within the framework of ESD is nationwide monitoring, which has been under the direction of Prof. Dr. med. Gerhard de Haan is carried out. By promoting change agent skills, graduates from all disciplines must be able to deal with issues of sustainable development. The netzwerk n good practice collection offers successful examples of implementing ESD in university teaching.

An important aspect is also the federal government's contribution to ESD, which presents a report in every legislative period. This takes into account the measures for implementing ESD at various levels, including federal, state and local authorities, and builds on a resolution of the German Bundestag in order to achieve the goals of the UNESCO program “Education for Sustainable Development: Achieving the Global Sustainability Goals (ESD 2030)”.

Students and teachers are given an active role in shaping ESD. You are invited to take part in the DG HochN hubs in order to further advance the implementation of ESD at universities.

Overall, the upcoming Teaching Day at the University of Paderborn shows how important it is to integrate sustainability into academic education in order to prepare the next generations for future challenges. The event is a step in the right direction and provides an opportunity to share ideas and best practices.