Education for sustainable development: new opportunities with the rce network

Abstract

The goals of sustainable development can not be achieved only through technological innovation, policy decisions and financial support. Education for sustainable development (ESD) makes it possible to deal constructively and creatively with current and future global challenges and to create a sustainable society. A special place in the global distribution of ESD is currently played by the network of Regional centres of expertise (RCE) established under the auspices of the UN University. The RSEs form a global network of formal and non-formal educational institutions and organizations to mobilize them in the field of ESD. Currently, this network includes more than 168 centers, two of which are located in Russia. According to the profiles of RCEs worldwide the main objective of their activities is consolidation of educational efforts of universities and different cultural and environmental institutions and organizations, together with the municipality, for increasing public awareness of sustainable development. The key partners of RCEs, the leading regional Universities, combined on one platform, are acting as an educational consortium, which is mainstreaming ESD by its appropriate integration in the curricula of formal education, from early childhood rearing to primary, secondary, technical and vocational and higher education, and also nonformal education initiatives, particularly through sustainability-related intended learning outcomes. The article summarizes the experience of RCEs in the field of ESD, highlights the most promising activities, forms of implementation of RCE projects together with universities, identifies the most urgent needs of educational institutions in the field of ESD. The authors of this article found themselves in a situation where after the merger of two regional universities the RCE previously hosted by one of them (RCE Samara, Russia) requires brand new start. Obviously there was a lack of a formal conceptual framework for development in the previous period. Thus, the article is an attempt to find new ideas and new ways of development for the existing center, to make it a leading example in Russia of the power of education for sustainable development, where people of all ages are given the knowledge and tools they need to assume responsibility for creating a better tomorrow and a sustainable future.