“All students starting at Radboud University learn from their own study programme how they can contribute to sustainability issues. This applies to all students who start this year, but also to some of the students who have already started. We started this process in 2019 with the launch of our strategy 'A Significant Impact'. Various sustainability themes, such as climate, biodiversity and inequality, are becoming increasingly relevant. By introducing students to (the connections between) these themes during their studies, they are better prepared for what comes after they graduate. Not only is there a good chance that they will have to deal with these issues in their working lives, but also that they will be better able to make a meaningful contribution to society in other fields.”
Sustainability has a natural place in the compulsory curriculum of every study programme. In addition, there is a wide range of choices. Klomp continues: “Radboud University currently offers 90 Bachelor's programmes, 60 Master's programmes, almost 40 education programmes and various postgraduate courses in the field of sustainability. Together with the faculties, action plans are being drawn up to further integrate sustainability into the existing curriculum. In addition, new study programmes and courses are continuously being developed.”
Interdisciplinary network of teachers and scientists
The Radboud Centre for Sustainability Challenges (RCSC), the hub for interdisciplinary research and education related to the Sustainable Development Goals, is developing new programmes and courses. Carlijn Hendriks, coordinator of the RCSC and lecturer in the field of climate, energy and sustainability, explains: “The RCSC has a network of more than 200 scientists and teachers from Radboud University who are working on sustainability issues. We bring them together in seminars and joint projects. For example, Cultural Sustainability, a new course at the Faculty of Arts, was developed in this way. And we are currently working on the Master's in Science for Sustainability, a joint project between the Faculty of Science and the Nijmegen School of Management.”
Hendriks taught the course Sustainable Development Goals for two years. “This course is open to all students at Radboud University. It is an introduction to the SDGs and the systemic approach in which these interrelated sustainability issues are increasingly viewed. One of the assignments students are given is to write an essay on a sustainability theme of choice, in which they consider how they themselves can contribute to it from their own expertise. In addition, they work in multidisciplinary groups on a case study in which various aspects of sustainability come together. This might result in a podcast about the future of sustainable mobility in Amsterdam, for example, or a popular science article about how inequality in London plays a role in measures to limit the consequences of climate change”.
Sustainability even in the most technical courses
Marc Davidson is professor of Philosophy of Sustainability and Environment at Radboud University. What makes this discipline extra interesting is its interdisciplinary approach. Philosophizing about sustainability and the environment requires knowledge about economics, ecology, psychology and other fields. Within all courses, Davidson works with education directors and coordinators on the integration of sustainability. “Even in the most technical and linguistic courses, we try to make a link with sustainability. For example, the cultural impoverishment caused by the disappearance of indigenous languages is comparable to the biological impoverishment caused by the extinction of animal species. And in the philosophy of cognition, the link can be made that the Cartesian idea that only man has a mind is largely at the root of our exploitation of nature. If you think that only man has a mind and the rest is mere matter, you are using everything that is not man as mere raw material.”
Davidson himself teaches the course Climate Crisis, which is taken by students from all disciplines. “This course discusses the climate crisis from the perspective of various disciplines: the science of climate change, the impact on ecosystems and health, options for reducing fossil fuel consumption, the politics of international climate negotiations, economic policy goals and instruments, and the psychology of inaction. But also a philosophical approach to our moral duties towards future generations. The students are given assignments not only to research, for example, the pros and cons of certain energy sources, but also to experience barriers to following an all-plant diet for one week.”
Sustainability testimonial: looking beyond the boundaries of your studies
Students who study sustainable issues during their studies can now also officially demonstrate this by means of a Sustainability Testimonial, a note on your diploma supplement. The Sustainability Testimonial shows that you have paid extra attention to sustainable issues within your study, by successfully completing a number of sustainability courses and by having focused your bachelor thesis on a sustainable topic. Klomp explains: “The courses are linked to the SDGs, and many sustainability issues have a multidisciplinary character. With this testimonial we also want to encourage students to look beyond the boundaries of your own study.”
The first student experiences with the Testimony are positive. Marie-Sophie Simon, student Computing Science explains: “For me the Sustainability Testimony served as a route to sustainability in a hardcore science study. I wanted to know how I could use my studies to make this world a better place, and not just to make money one day. I learned about sustainability, but because of the interdisciplinary nature of the courses I also learned a lot about my own set of skills compared to students with other backgrounds. Also, relating my thesis to the SDGs really helped me to see how easy it is to make a positive impact. And it has given me a direction I want to take with my studies and working life.”
You have a part to play
Our society is facing major challenges. Radboud University wants to contribute to a healthy, free world with equal chances for everyone. With ‘Je bent nodig’ (You have a part to play), Radboud University aims to reach people who want to contribute to that goal. At Jebentnodig.nl you’ll find more articles and information about sustainability in our education.
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Photo: Dick van Aalst.