SETU hosted a special event as part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) week on 27 September, to mark the launch of SETU’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Community of Practice (CoP), in partnership with experts from TU Dublin’s Sustainability Team.
The event was organized by Dr Nataliya Romanyatova, Sustainability Postdoctoral Researcher SATLE at SETU. It was funded by the Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE).
A university-wide sustainability mindset
Commenting on the event, Dr Romanyatova acknowledged the significance of the occasion in shaping the future of SETU. She said, “This is an excellent start for something huge: developing a university-wide sustainability mindset and sustainability values through teaching, learning, and sharing best practices. Sincere thanks to our colleagues at TUD and Sulitest for taking part. Special thanks to my SETU colleagues, Dr Paul O'Leary, Dr Gina Noonan, and Fiona O'Connor, for your help in organising this event,”
Sharing insights
At the launch, leaders of the TU Dublin Sustainability team, Dr Lucia Walsh, Lecturer in Business Sustainability and Entrepreneurship, and Dr Olivia Freeman, Lecturer in Communications and Consumer Behaviour, delivered keynote presentations on how sustainability initiatives are embedded into teaching and learning practices at TU Dublin. They emphasized the importance of equipping people with the skills and knowledge to address challenges and highlighted the role of innovative change in educational institutions.
Sustaining the Future
As part of the launch, National Forum Sustainability Digital Badge participants were presented open course certificates. This was the first joint rollout of the course and was organised and facilitated by the SATLE team, together with TU Dublin and Atlantic Technological University (ATU). The event concluded with a practical workshop led by Dr Olivia Freeman and Dr Lucia Walsh, further reinforcing a commitment to change on the parts of both universities.
Sulitest – a tool for sustainability education integration
Attendees of the launch were then introduced to Sulitest, a sustainability literacy tool that provides universities and organisations with the resources to integrate sustainability literacy into their curriculums, modules, and programmes. Estela Castelli Florino Pilz, Sulitest Community Manager, demonstrated how it can aid organisations in showing the impact of their sustainable actions. Estela highlighted how Sulitest can be used as a practical resource for educators and students alike.
Sulitest is now available to staff and students at SETU through SATLE funding.
Online introduction session
An online introduction session to the Sulitest tool for sustainability literacy was delivered to the SETU community on 4 October, allowing staff and students to learn to embed sustainability in modules and programmes in a fun and engaging way. The online introduction was delivered by Dr Alison Bailey, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sussex, Dr Olivia Freeman, TU Dublin Sustainability Educations Lead, and Estela Castelli Florino Pilz from Sulitest.
Commenting on the benefits of Sulitest to teaching and learning practices at SETU, Dr Nataliya Romanyatova said, “Sulitest is not only a piece of educational technology that can inspire the use of various pedagogical approaches and skills, but it has a strategic meaning for SETU and can be embedded systematically through modules and programmes.”