SDG 4.7: Promoting education for sustainable development

SDG target 4.7 calls for ensuring that, “by 2030, all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development”.

As one of the first signatories to the University Commitment to the SDGs, Monash has committed to provide educational opportunities for our students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. Monash is also a signatory to the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME), the Commitment to Green Chemistry, and the Global Engineering Dean’s Council Sustainability Commitment all of which commit to education for sustainable development.

In 2020, these commitments were being implemented through a wide range of programs and activities around sustainable development from across the University. Here are some of them:

We offered several major curricular programs, including the award-winning interdisciplinary Master of Environment and Sustainability, the ground-breaking Bachelor of Science Advanced – Global Challenges (Honours), the Master of International Development Practice and the Master of International Sustainable Tourism Management. We also worked on developing several new programs, including the Master of Green and Sustainable Technologies and the Graduate Certificate of Innovation for Sustainability. In addition we offered over 60 study units directly relating to sustainability and sustainable development across a wide range of study areas.

The Global Immersion Guarantee, while on hold during 2020 due to COVID-19, is a ground-breaking funded study opportunity to work with overseas communities on local solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges for all first year students in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Global Studies, and several other degree programs.

Students from all disciplines had the opportunity to join a range of co-curricular programs on sustainability, leadership and entrepreneurship, including The Generator, Leave No One Behind, Green Steps, the Monash Minds Student Leadership Program, and the Vice-Chancellor's Ancora Imparo Leadership Program, as well as student led initiatives such as the Monash Association of Sustainability, the Monash Energy Club , the Monash International Affairs Society, and Precious Plastics Monash.

We have also been working to advance education for the SDGs within and beyond Monash, through Monash-led initiatives such as the Education, Environment and Sustainability research group, the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, and Teach Green, and our participation in initiatives such as the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH SDGs), Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Education, and the Accelerating Education for SDGs in Universities Guide.