Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Higher Education Beyond 2014

The IAU is pleased to announce the upcoming International Conference on Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Higher Education Beyond 2014. It will take place on 9 November 2014 at Nagoya University and is co-organized by UNU in collaboration with UNESCO, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), UNEP, UN Global Compact Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative and the International Association of Universities (IAU).

Sunday 9 November 2014, Nagoya University, Aichi-Nagoya, Japan

Marking the closing of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD 2005–2014), the Conference will celebrate the achievements of various higher education initiatives throughout the Decade and review commitments to make more profound contributions to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) beyond 2014. The Conference will highlight the major challenges and pathways for transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs), with a focus on scaling up and mainstreaming innovative practices in learning and knowledge development and research. The Conference will also be a follow-up to the engagement of HEIs with the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) including the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative facilitated by a group of UN partner organizations. 

The Conference will include high-level panel sessions which will focus on the major areas of significance for the transformation of higher education and on innovative ways it can contribute to advancing sustainable development. This includes the whole institution approach and engagement with critical sectors and across sectors. The issues explored in the panels will be the focus of detailed breakout sessions highlighting the significant contributions of higher education as a whole to furthering the promotion of ESD beyond 2014 in a series of key areas, including; (1) advancing policy; (2) transforming learning and training environments; (3) capacities building of educators and trainers; (4) empowering and mobilizing youth; and (5) accelerating sustainable solutions at the local level.

The outcome of the Conference will be reflected in discussions at the UNESCO World Conference on ESD, which will be held in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan from 10 to12 November 2014. The IAU coordinates one of the workshops.

Registration will open on the Conference website in early July. For inquiries, please contact the Secretariat at (heconference@unu.edu) and IAU at: h.vantland@iau-aiu.net

Website

www.c-linkage.com/for/hesd/