Sustainability is high on the agenda in our education system. What role does sustainability play in our programmes? And what do we teach our future professionals about it?
Saxion, as a university of applied sciences, is responsible for educating new generations of professionals. To help create a society that focuses on tackling climate change and improving the welfare of people and animals, nationally and internationally, both in the business community and in people's homes. An increasing number of people are witnessing and experiencing the consequences of climate change and the growing pressure on well-being. When we talk about sustainability, we are referring to issues such as poverty, inequality, good health and well-being, inclusion, value creation, chain responsibility, quality of education, strong governance, the energy transition, circularity, and biodiversity.
Saxion’s sustainable focus is on the ecological, social, and economic aspects of a future-proof society. A society where no one is left behind.
It is Saxion’s ambition that all study programmes embed sustainability in their education and collaborate with the professional field in order to achieve this. Saxion has established a sustainability agenda for education aimed at embedding sustainability in education. This serves as a source of inspiration for study programmes.
For Saxion, sustainability means ‘treating each other and the world around us with respect’. In other words, taking care of people, planet and prosperity. We want to give our students the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to a future-proof society where no one is left behind. Each study programme’s contribution focuses on its distinct topics using concepts appropriate to its own professional field. Study programmes in the social sector focus on issues such as good health, well-being, poverty and equal opportunities. For study programmes in the economic sector, concepts such as multiple value creation, strong management and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are more common. Study programmes in the technical sector focus on issues such as the energy transition, climate adaptation and circularity. We believe making sustainable contributions is more important than simply recognising the concept of sustainability.
We recognise five development phases for integrating sustainability into our study programmes. These define the extent to which sustainability is included in the study programme. These phases are derived from the Hobeon certification process, namely:
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Sustainability is incidentally included in the study programme, for example on an ad hoc basis and/or through individual initiative.
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Sustainability is consistently included as a topic in the study programme.
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Sustainability is part of the educational philosophy and strategy, and these changes have been implemented in the curriculum to ensure that graduates have developed the knowledge, attitude, and skills during their studies to make a positive contribution to a future-proof society in their professional field.
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Sustainability is systematically embedded in the study programme’s education. Starting in their first year of study, students acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that enable them to make structural contributions to a future-proof society. The relevant study content has been coordinated with field partners and other knowledge institutions.
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Sustainability is systematically embedded in the study programme’s education, as described in development phase 3. Furthermore, sustainability is a key topic in the study programme’s profile. There is cooperation with partners to find solutions that have a positive impact on the sustainability challenges of the relevant sector.
We take a practical approach to integrating sustainability into our education. To this end, we look at the various ingredients needed to ensure that sustainability is increasingly integrated into all our study programmes. We focus on:
Vision and strategy
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Sustainability is part of the vision and strategy of the study programme.
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The vision and strategy of sustainability have been translated into concrete goals.
Curriculum (based on the vision and strategy)
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Students gain insight into how their field of study contributes to sustainability.
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Sustainability is reflected in the curriculum, including the education and exam plan.
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Sustainability is embedded in the intended learning results and in learning and assessment activities.
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The learning results are arrived at with the help of the professional field and other partners.
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Sustainability is embedded in education and assessment policy.
Lecturers
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Lecturers have been actively encouraged to integrate sustainability into their subjects.
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Lecturers possess the necessary knowledge, attitude and skills.
Future-proof innovation
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Sustainability is one of the key topics in the study programme’s profile.
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Structural cooperation with the professional field for innovation focusing on sustainability.
Special quality label: Sustainable Higher Education
Higher education study programmes can promote themselves as being sustainable by applying for the special Sustainable Higher Education quality label. By having at least three stars you are eligible for a special quality label for sustainable development from the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). The following programmes have already obtained the sustainability quality label.
Several other programmes are looking into certification.
Minors
Want to get to grips with sustainability in a minor? No problem! Check out our minors at saxion.nl/minoren.