MR
M.M. Roeling
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1
No Time To Waste
A Plea for Immediate Implementation of Sustainability in Engineering Education
There are many ways of integrating sustainability into engineering education. While renewing the Bachelor’s Programme in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences at TU Delft, The Netherlands, we discovered that these ways can easily lead to a stalemate: while there is the forward thrust of a curriculum renewal with its strict deadlines, uncertainty about useable concepts to integrate sustainability can cause delays and the avoidance of fundamental decisions. In this practice paper we give a brief overview of the ways to integrate sustainability we have considered, and explain how we subsequently chose what to do first and why. After an inventory of UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the current courses, we reasoned that our faculty themes on sustainability were not directive enough, and that sustainability frameworks were not fully developed yet. Therefore we adopted a twofold method, top-down and bottom-up: redesigning the curriculum based on a preliminary framework, and connecting it with the SDGs in all 24 courses. This new combination did not provide a 'finished' sustainable curriculum, but does allow for follow-up steps that will update it based on fully developed frameworks and sustainable competences in the learning objectives. Our conclusion is that any method of integration may work, but that change can only start by choosing a method and going with it. Our advice is therefore nothing less than a plea for a cultural shift: to break the stalemate by choosing any way of implementing sustainability as soon as possible, in order to gradually transform education as sustainability.
...
There are many ways of integrating sustainability into engineering education. While renewing the Bachelor’s Programme in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences at TU Delft, The Netherlands, we discovered that these ways can easily lead to a stalemate: while there is the forward thrust of a curriculum renewal with its strict deadlines, uncertainty about useable concepts to integrate sustainability can cause delays and the avoidance of fundamental decisions. In this practice paper we give a brief overview of the ways to integrate sustainability we have considered, and explain how we subsequently chose what to do first and why. After an inventory of UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the current courses, we reasoned that our faculty themes on sustainability were not directive enough, and that sustainability frameworks were not fully developed yet. Therefore we adopted a twofold method, top-down and bottom-up: redesigning the curriculum based on a preliminary framework, and connecting it with the SDGs in all 24 courses. This new combination did not provide a 'finished' sustainable curriculum, but does allow for follow-up steps that will update it based on fully developed frameworks and sustainable competences in the learning objectives. Our conclusion is that any method of integration may work, but that change can only start by choosing a method and going with it. Our advice is therefore nothing less than a plea for a cultural shift: to break the stalemate by choosing any way of implementing sustainability as soon as possible, in order to gradually transform education as sustainability.
Book chapter
(2024)
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Erwin Mlecnik, Queena Qian, Monika Roeling, Ad Straub, Aksel Ersoy, Hilde Remoy, Vincent Gruis, Fred Hobma, Remon Rooij, Herman Vande Putte, Gerard van Bortel
It is recommended to integrate specific management competencies in academic education to support the transition towards environmentally sustainable practices, particularly in the construction and real estate sector. This paper explores how architectural management education can integrate environmental sustainability within its current university programmes. In recent years TU Delft explored and experimented with various education initiatives to bring forward environmental sustainability knowledge and to connect with policy, societal and industry practices. This paper describes what we learned from both bottom-up and top-down initiatives implementing environmental sustainability in construction and real estate management education. Bottom-up educational initiatives show that knowledge about transition policies, stakeholder experiences, business models and management practices from a European perspective can help students across the globe to apply knowledge into their local context, reflecting on the overarching management principals across stakeholders, institutions, academic disciplines and cultures. Top-down initiatives show that the university has a vision on integrating sustainability in its curriculum, but that integrating environmental sustainability in construction and real estate management education is still challenging. Adapting the academic curriculum to integrate building and portfolio responses to environmental challenges might be a way forward and the experiences from numerous elective courses and educational initiatives can be a basis to identify the development of a future standard curriculum.
...
It is recommended to integrate specific management competencies in academic education to support the transition towards environmentally sustainable practices, particularly in the construction and real estate sector. This paper explores how architectural management education can integrate environmental sustainability within its current university programmes. In recent years TU Delft explored and experimented with various education initiatives to bring forward environmental sustainability knowledge and to connect with policy, societal and industry practices. This paper describes what we learned from both bottom-up and top-down initiatives implementing environmental sustainability in construction and real estate management education. Bottom-up educational initiatives show that knowledge about transition policies, stakeholder experiences, business models and management practices from a European perspective can help students across the globe to apply knowledge into their local context, reflecting on the overarching management principals across stakeholders, institutions, academic disciplines and cultures. Top-down initiatives show that the university has a vision on integrating sustainability in its curriculum, but that integrating environmental sustainability in construction and real estate management education is still challenging. Adapting the academic curriculum to integrate building and portfolio responses to environmental challenges might be a way forward and the experiences from numerous elective courses and educational initiatives can be a basis to identify the development of a future standard curriculum.
Practising What You Teach and Preach
Working for a Sustainable University Is a Verb
Universities and other institutes of higher education can be at the forefront of sustainable development and climate action. As organisations that develop knowledge, conduct research, and valorise their experience, universities are capable of testing and investigating new approaches, models, strategies, technology… The process thereof can be monitored, evaluated and corrected or enhanced when needed. Therefore, universities can be safe places for the roll-out of climate action and sustainability measures, paving the way for other organisations and cities to reach their climate goals.
TU Delft adopted its Vision, Ambition and Action Plan as the basis of all sustainable transitions on the campus. Aiming at five sustainability goals – becoming carbon neutral, climate adaptive and circular by 2030, contributing to quality of life, and demonstrating sustainable innovations on campus – an all-encompassing plan was drawn up to set in motion serious changes. The four main elements addressed in this paper are: Education for Sustainability, Campus as a Living Lab, Sustainable Operations, and Community Engagement. This paper will discuss the steps taken by TU Delft to become a climate university and exemplar for other organisations and institutions. ...
TU Delft adopted its Vision, Ambition and Action Plan as the basis of all sustainable transitions on the campus. Aiming at five sustainability goals – becoming carbon neutral, climate adaptive and circular by 2030, contributing to quality of life, and demonstrating sustainable innovations on campus – an all-encompassing plan was drawn up to set in motion serious changes. The four main elements addressed in this paper are: Education for Sustainability, Campus as a Living Lab, Sustainable Operations, and Community Engagement. This paper will discuss the steps taken by TU Delft to become a climate university and exemplar for other organisations and institutions. ...
Universities and other institutes of higher education can be at the forefront of sustainable development and climate action. As organisations that develop knowledge, conduct research, and valorise their experience, universities are capable of testing and investigating new approaches, models, strategies, technology… The process thereof can be monitored, evaluated and corrected or enhanced when needed. Therefore, universities can be safe places for the roll-out of climate action and sustainability measures, paving the way for other organisations and cities to reach their climate goals.
TU Delft adopted its Vision, Ambition and Action Plan as the basis of all sustainable transitions on the campus. Aiming at five sustainability goals – becoming carbon neutral, climate adaptive and circular by 2030, contributing to quality of life, and demonstrating sustainable innovations on campus – an all-encompassing plan was drawn up to set in motion serious changes. The four main elements addressed in this paper are: Education for Sustainability, Campus as a Living Lab, Sustainable Operations, and Community Engagement. This paper will discuss the steps taken by TU Delft to become a climate university and exemplar for other organisations and institutions.
TU Delft adopted its Vision, Ambition and Action Plan as the basis of all sustainable transitions on the campus. Aiming at five sustainability goals – becoming carbon neutral, climate adaptive and circular by 2030, contributing to quality of life, and demonstrating sustainable innovations on campus – an all-encompassing plan was drawn up to set in motion serious changes. The four main elements addressed in this paper are: Education for Sustainability, Campus as a Living Lab, Sustainable Operations, and Community Engagement. This paper will discuss the steps taken by TU Delft to become a climate university and exemplar for other organisations and institutions.