There are over 351 public and private institutions of higher learning educating thousands of young men and women to be successful in their future careers on the African continent (Guide to Higher Education in Africa (IAU/UNESCO/AAU, 2004). Graduates from these higher education institutions ought to be able to apply their learning to improve their lives, make responsible decisions and influence others for the better. Graduates from these institutions have an important role to play in Africa’s future.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), together with its partners, drawing on experience gained from previous programmes of working with universities in Africa, and with universities worldwide, is supporting a partnership programme to mainstream environment and sustainability concerns into the teaching, research, community engagement and management of universities in Africa.
MESA Partnership includes:
An Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Innovations short course developed and implemented by partners (to strengthen capacity to establish ESD innovations in universities);
The ESD Innovations course aims to support university teachers and managers planning for ESD innovations in African universities. In doing this it provides a platform for discussions on sustainable development innovations in different African universities. It provides a broad orientation to environmental issues in the broader concept of sustainable development, and introduces university teachers and managers to examples of innovations in teaching, research, services and management practices, while providing an orientation to a range of possibilities for action. It aims to strengthen and complement the other dimensions of the MESA Universities Partnership. Participants who engage actively in the this course will be able to participate successfully in other aspects of the MESA Universities Partnership such as:
Seminars for university leaders;
A biennial conference providing an opportunity for universities to report on ESD innovations associated with the university’s triple mission of research, teaching and community engagement, and to engage in North-South dialogue; and
Pilot programmes linking universities, communities, business and industry in sustainable development partnerships.
The MESA Universities Partnership strengthens UNEP’s special focus on Africa and is constituted as a major contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). The MESA Universities Partnership also supports the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) environmental action plan and the objectives of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment. The NEPAD Environmental Action Plan (UNEP, 2003) indicates that the state of the environment is a major detriment to the growth and development objectives of any nation and has a pervasive effect on the safety and standard of living of the populace. One of the strategic actions in the NEPAD Environmental Action Plan is the ‘development of capacity in all aspects of environmental issues in Africa’ (UNEP 2003). Universities will have a key role to play in strengthening capacity for sustainable development through ESD initiatives.
The overall goal of the UNDESD is:
To integrate the principles, values and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. This education effort will encourage changes in behaviour that will create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for present and future generations (UNESCO, 2005).
The specific goals of the UNDESD are to:
Facilitate networking, linkages, exchange and interaction amongst stakeholders in ESD;
Foster an increased quality of teaching and learning in education for sustainable development;
Help countries make progress towards, and attain, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through ESD efforts; and
Provide countries with new opportunities to incorporate ESD into education reform efforts (UNESCO, 2005).
One of the major thrusts of ESD, which is underscored by the UN Implementation Scheme for the UNDESD is re-orientation of education at all levels (including universities). This involves the strengthening of institutional and operational capacity for a consistent and systematic mainstreaming of ESD into policies, programmes and learning activities. It is these broader objectives for ESD that are directly addressed by the MESA Universities Partnership.
An expanded network of universities on South/South modalities that integrate UNEP’s thematic priority areas systematically into a wide range of disciplines, faculties, programmes and courses in universities, and focusing on integration of these concerns into university policies, management practices, community engagement and student activities. The expanded network should be measured on quantity and quality of research and teaching
Knowledge networks to inform and support key stakeholders in the reform of policies and the implementation of programmes on green economy.
Multi-disciplinary scientific networks are more strategically connected to policy-makers and development practitioners to integrate environment into development processes.
National and regional information networks are established and demonstrated to support regional-level actions on chemical-related priority issues.
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