A sustainable world will not happen without determined effort – our actions today determine the future we manifest. The gravity of this responsibility necessitates that we do not drift along with the tides of change. The success of our collective transition will largely depend on the degree to which UL claims a role in advancing the critical gaps in our knowledge and nurturing the vital shifts in our culture. To fully leverage the potential for change that HEIs hold, this role must play out across all aspects of our institutions: from boardrooms, to lecture halls, and campus grounds alike.
To become a Sustainable University, we must start by acknowledging that true sustainability will require permanent adaptive responsiveness to on-going change. The prerequisite of adaptability and responsiveness is embodiment. It ensures ideas and intentions are rooted in action. Embodiment can be seen as the central characteristic of a Sustainable University; a title for institutions that go beyond traditional curricula and research programmes, and actively explore change within their own ethos, practices and operations.
We are at a unique crossroads where we have the opportunity to radically transform the role universities play in society and reshape the learning and research opportunities we provide to our students.
