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Abstract
The ESDEUS project – entitled European Universities as Community Leaders in Education for Sustainable Development – highlights the importance of integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into university curricula to advance the “third mission” of universities. By examining and comparing data from governments and universities in Poland, Sweden, Portugal, and Italy, the study aims to provide insights that can inform more effective teaching and learning strategies regarding this highly important issue.
The topic of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) involves integrating key social and environmental issues into university curricula, whether through general or transversal competencies. ESD encompasses critical outcomes such as promoting ethical behavior, combating poverty, advancing gender equality, fostering health, protecting human rights, valuing cultural diversity, supporting peace, encouraging responsible production and consumption, and ensuring equitable access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). These elements align closely with the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UNESCO, n.d.; United Nations, n.d.).
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Copyright (c) 2025 Clotilde Lechuga-Jiménez
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References
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- Lechuga-Jimenez, C., Barroso, M. B., Alastor, E., & Tójar-Hurtado, J. C. (2024). Promoting social and blue entrepreneurship and sustainability skills in higher education by transversal competencies. Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2309412
- Macalalag, A. Z., Kaufmann, A., Van Meter, B., Ricketts, A., Liao, E., & Lalacci, G. (2024). Socioscientific issues: promoting science teachers’ pedagogy on social justice. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 6, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-024-00118-4
- Sadler, T. D. (2009). Situated learning in science education: Socio-scientific issues as contexts for practice. Studies in Science Education, 45(1), 1-42. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057260802681839
- UNESCO. (n.d.). UNESCO and Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.unesco.org/en/sdgs
- United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
References
Anderson, L. (Ed.). (2022). Communities and Students Together (CaST). Piloting new approaches to Engaged learning in Europe. Maklu-Publishers. https://www.cast-euproject.eu/download/io3-piloting-new-approaches-to-engaged-learning-in-europe/22/
Badía, G., Gómez-Bezares, F., & Ferruz, L. (2022). Are investments in material corporate social responsibility issues a key driver of financial performance? Accounting & Finance, 62(3), 3987–4011. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12912
CRUE. (2019, December 4). Manifiesto de Crue Universidades Españolas por un planeta más sostenible. Retrieved December 6, 2025, from https://www.crue.org/2019/12/manifiesto-de-crue-universidades-espanolas-por-un-planeta-mas-sostenible-diciembre-2019/
European Higher Education Area. (1999). The Bologna Declaration of 19 June 1999. https://ehea.info/Upload/document/ministerial_declarations/1999_Bologna_Declaration_English_553028.pdf
Haj Tajeb, S. (2024). Measuring the third mission of European Universities: A systematic literature review. Society and Economy, 46(2), 147-167. https://doi.org/10.1556/204.2023.00030
Hammer, T. & Lewis, A. L. (2023). Which competencies should be fostered in education for sustainable development at higher education institutions? Findings from the evaluation of the study programs at the University of Bern, Switzerland. Discover Sustainability, 4, 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-023-00134-w
Honeyman, R. & Jana, T. (2019). B corp handbook: How you can use business as a force for good (2nd ed.). Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Lambrechts, W., Mulà, I., Ceulemans, K., Molderez, I., & Gaeremynck, V. (2013). The integration of competences for sustainable development in higher education: An analysis of bachelor programs in management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 48, 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.12.034
Lechuga-Jimenez, C., Barroso, M. B., Alastor, E., & Tójar-Hurtado, J. C. (2024). Promoting social and blue entrepreneurship and sustainability skills in higher education by transversal competencies. Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2309412
Macalalag, A. Z., Kaufmann, A., Van Meter, B., Ricketts, A., Liao, E., & Lalacci, G. (2024). Socioscientific issues: promoting science teachers’ pedagogy on social justice. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 6, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43031-024-00118-4
Sadler, T. D. (2009). Situated learning in science education: Socio-scientific issues as contexts for practice. Studies in Science Education, 45(1), 1-42. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057260802681839
UNESCO. (n.d.). UNESCO and Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.unesco.org/en/sdgs
United Nations. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/