Abstract
Sustainability Sciences need communication to communicate knowledge effectively and to engage audiences toward sustainable development. Therefore, the present study examines to what extent media and communication aspects are integrated into sustainability science's curricula of higher education institutions in Europe. For this purpose, a total of n=1117 bachelor and master's degree programs and their related curricula/program specifications from 31 European countries were analyzed by means of content analysis. Results show that the level of curricular integration of media and communication aspects in the field of sustainability science is not (yet) far advanced (18%). This leaves room for a reflection on the perceived (ir-)relevance of communication as a crucial discipline and competence in the sustainability science area, as well as on the social and educational responsibility of higher education institutions.
Highlights
In recent years, sustainability has increasingly occupied a prominent role in our society, developing from the buzzword of the last decade to a fundamental concept in finding a new balance between the ecosystem and society
To investigate to what extent communication aspects are integrated into sustainability science curricula, we took a closer look at online content
The results show that the level of the integration of communication and media aspects in sustainability science's curricula is not far advanced
Summary
Sustainability has increasingly occupied a prominent role in our society, developing from the buzzword of the last decade to a fundamental concept in finding a new balance between the ecosystem and society. In observing current societies, it is evident that current paradigms, deeply anchored in our (economic and social) system, contribute rather to an unsustainable development. In this regard, education can play a decisive role. In terms of a comprehensive responsibility, universities must recognize current, future, and socially relevant topics and include them in their teaching programs (Mintz & Tal, 2013). If universities want to contribute to sustainability meaningfully, this relevant issue has to be integrated into their study programs (Tilbury, 2011)
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