GUNi Conference: Universities in transition: transformations for sustainability

The objective of this meeting was to present the transformations and the emerging ideas that the higher education institutions (HEIs) have been implementing at a global scale in their transition towards sustainability, which are presented on the new GUNi's report Higher Education in the World 4, Higher Education's Commitment to Sustainability: From Understanding to Action.

The rector of the UPC, Antoni Giró, the general director of the Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Lluís Jofre and the general subdirector of the Universitary Modernization and Internacionalization of the Ministry of Education, Luis María Delgado were present at the opening ceremony. The UNU rector, Konrad Osterwalder, and the Director of the Executive Office for Education of UNESCO, Svein Osttveit, participated on-line.

The Conference counted with the participation of Maria Novo, UNESCO chair holder of Environmental education at UNED. And it is worth stressing that in the afternoon there was a worshop conducted by Cristina Escrigas (GUNi Executive Director) and Jesús Granados (Research and Content Coordinator). The aim of the workshop was to discuss how to advance in the HEIs transition toward sustainability by highlighting the key actions to move forward.

The report – the forth of GUNi- highlights that if the university ever pretends to hold a transformative role in society, it must be the first in facing the transformative process which so far has been proved to be slow in those HEIs who have tried to work in this direction.According to the authors of the report, it is important that the HEIs rethink themselves holistically, and also putting special emphasis on their management, knowledge, learning and teaching functions and their relation with the community.

For furhter information visit: http://www.guninetwork.org/jornada24n2011/