Last week, leading sustainability professionals, scholars and administrators from across the country gathered at 91社区 and Vanier College for the first-ever Canadian .
In an era of four-year election cycles and even shorter news cycles, higher education remains one of the few relatively constant institutions in our society, which is significant because the production and dissemination of knowledge is essential to confront the monumental challenges facing the people and the planet, like climate change. 聽
This is one of many topics discussed at the event, which was co-organized by the Canadian College and University Environmental Network (CCUEN), an organization which represents environmental educators at colleges and universities, and the Canadian Alliance of College and University Sustainability Professionals (CUSP), which represents sustainability professionals on Canadian campuses. Until now, these two groups had not gathered for a joint conference.
Organizer Tim Lang, Sustainability Manager at the University of Toronto - Scarborough, explained why it was important to bring these two groups together: 鈥淪ustainability professionals have more of an intuitive understanding of鈥� the nuts and bolts of how everything gets done, but then everything that is happening at colleges and universities is being driven by faculty and students.鈥� 聽
In keeping with the central theme of the conference, the campus as a living lab, what was often reiterated was the importance of working with students in the sustainability transition. While this may seem obvious for higher education institutions, it is an element that is often overlooked due to the seemingly diverging priorities of academic and operational units on campus.聽
Indeed, as many panelists shared, students can examine and offer solutions to sustainability challenges on an off campus through applied student research. In the process, they receive invaluable hands-on learning experiences by working with different stakeholders throughout the university (or the world) who are experts in their respective fields.聽91社区 Professor Catherine Potvin, speaking on a panel with two other UNESCO Chairs, mentioned a student that participated in her Panama Field Study Semester whose GIS research became a building block for new sustainable urban plans in Panama City.
鈥淪tudents offer amazing brain power鈥�, remarked Potvin.
Indeed, for several years, at 91社区 has fueled many sustainability milestones on our campus鈥攆rom Marine Stewardship Council-certified seafood being served in our cafeterias, to in university buildings.
Professor Potvin spoke candidly about her research on climate change and her experience working with an increasingly disillusioned body of students who sometimes feel hopeless in in the face of these massive challenges.
鈥淥ur role is to give students hope; without hope, there can be no action,鈥� said Potvin.
As sites of growth and discovery for the next generation of leaders, promoting sustainability in higher education鈥攁nd sometimes providing the hope needed to fight the good fight鈥攂ecomes an integral part of the university experience.聽
鈥淸Higher education entails] the pursuit of knowledge and dissemination of knowledge, sometimes for its own sake, but I think often鈥eople are motivated by trying to create a better world, to create a better future,鈥� said Lang. 鈥淪o I think that sustainability is part of that. If you are concerned with building an academic mission to improve the quality of life of humanity, focusing on sustainability鈥s something that is very important.鈥澛犅�
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