Transformative Education for Sustainability at TU/e

Project introduction and background information

Sustainability is increasingly recognized as a key challenge within higher education. In line with this, universities are working to integrate sustainability into their programs, with the goal of preparing future engineers to address complex global issues, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through a responsible and impactful approach to technology and society.

Many universities currently assess sustainability based on self-reported associations with SDGs. This approach typically considers a course or research project “sustainable” if its leader directly links it to sustainability topics. However, there is a need to move beyond self-assessment and explore the development of an evaluation framework grounded in objective criteria, to ensure a more consistent and thorough integration of sustainability.

An additional challenge lies in the use of the SDGs as guiding principles for sustainability in technical education. While the SDGs offer a global framework, they can be difficult to operationalize and adapt within technical disciplines, raising questions about their practical relevance for guiding sustainability efforts at technology-focused institutions.

With educational institutions increasingly focused on societal challenges and frequently partnering with industry, maintaining academic objectivity and neutrality is vital in these collaborations.

This project sought to answer a central question: What tools are necessary to integrate and evaluate sustainability in engineering education at TU/e and how can they be implemented?

The project “Transformative Education for Sustainability” was funded by 4TU.CEE and conducted by Zahar Koretsky under the supervision of project PI and the TU/e Sustainability Ambassador Prof. Anna Wieczorek.

Objective and expected outcomes

This research aimed to advance both practical and scientific understanding through the following objectives:

• Establish guiding principles for integrating sustainability in technical education not based exclusively on SDGs.
• Develop a framework to assess the incorporation of sustainability across engineering curricula not based exclusively on SDGs and self-assessment.
• Create a tool to evaluate the sustainability of external partnerships in education not based exclusively on SDGs.

Results and learnings

The project has yielded the following key outcomes:

• A new set of principles to guide systemic integration of sustainability in engineering education beyond the current (SDG-based) practices. This new set of principles is informed by an integrative literature review and validated in a TU/e workshop setting. An academic paper is being developed.
• A shortlist of most appropriate sustainability assessment frameworks on a degree level. We identified existing sustainability assessment frameworks most suited for the needs of systemic integration of sustainability in engineering education aligned with the new set of guiding principles: CDIO Optional Standards 3.0: Sustainability and Sustainability in Higher Education. The shortlisted frameworks were tested in an existing TU/e Master's programme as a proof of concept for TU/e and to generate insight for the said Master's programme. An academic paper is being developed.
• An exploratory adapted version of an existing sustainability assessment framework. This framework was created to incorporate the new set of guiding principles, and tested in a real TU/e Master's programme.
• A self-assessment tool for the coordinators or designers of courses with a transdisciplinary component (i.e. student projects, internships, CBL, PBL, service learning).

Regular validation meetings with stakeholders helped refine the project’s approach, incorporating feedback to enhance the relevance and applicability of the research outcomes. By gathering input from educational leaders and sustainability-focused groups, the project has ensured its research questions and approaches are aligned with diverse stakeholder needs. A research and practitioners' network on sustainability in engineering education has been initiated.

Project insights have been presented at international conferences and shared across various platforms to promote engagement with a broad audience interested in sustainable education practices.

For detail, please contact the Sustainability Office of TU/e or Zahar Koretsky.

Recommendations

1. A systemic integration of sustainability in engineering education could benefit from the new, transformative set of guiding principles that go beyond SDGs. These principles have to do with enabling in students interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, systems thinking, reflexive awareness of values in technology, and intrinsic motivation and empowerment to tackle grand societal challenges.
2. Universities of technology could benefit from a study of best-suited sustainability assessment frameworks.