Why Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) at JMU?
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) has committed itself to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and is pursuing the goal of embedding it comprehensively in all areas of university teaching. This decision is based on several important factors:
Further development of the teaching programme
JMU recognises the need to further develop its range of courses in all subjects in order to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As a comprehensive university with a broad spectrum of more than 200 degree programmes, 200 degreee programmes JMU has set itself the task of anchoring ESD as a cross-sectional task in the teaching of all subjects.
Students' wishes and needs
The integration of ESD into teaching is in line with students' wishes. An open letter from the student representatives at JMU on the topic of sustainability and climate protection to the university management (2022) emphasises this concern. JMU is responding to this wish by actively involving students in the design of ESD activities and offering them spaces for participation and the exchange of ideas.
Professional qualification
JMU recognises that knowledge and skills in the field of sustainability are increasingly important for the professional qualifications of its graduates. By integrating ESD into all degree programmes, students are prepared to shape change responsibly and competently in their future workplaces - be it in business, civil society, state institutions or education.
Social expectations
The implementation of ESD at JMU meets the expectations of society as formulated in the UN framework programme ‘Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs’ and in the ‘National Action Plan ESD’. As a driving force for social developments, JMU promotes and demands sustainability as a characteristic of an attractive, innovative and cosmopolitan university.
Legal basis and obligations
The integration of ESD into teaching is also based on legal requirements. The Bavarian Higher Education Innovation Act of 2022 (BayHIG) makes education for sustainable development a mandatory task for all universities:
‘Universities are committed to the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity, climate protection and education for sustainable development.’(BayHIG, Art. 2 para. 7 sentence 1)JMU implements these legal requirements and integrates them into its comprehensive ESD strategy.
JMU has committed itself to promoting sustainability and ESD in several documents:
- In the "Rahmenvereinbarung Hochschulen 2023 – 2027" (Framework Agreement Universties 2023-2027) with the Bavarian Ministry of Science, JMU has committed itself to ‘promoting an awareness of the diverse issues of sustainability in teaching, particularly within the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), imparting knowledge about the causes, effects and potential measures regarding the major social challenges and supporting students in building skills that contribute to solving these challenges and to sustainable development’.
- The "Hochschulvertrag 2023 – 2027" (University agreement 2023-2027) concluded between JMU and the Bavarian Ministry of Science specifies these obligations. It states, among other things: ‘JMU endeavours to further and more deeply embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in studies and teaching.’
- In its Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie (NHS; eng. sustainability strategy) JMU has defined specific goals, measures, milestones and responsibilities in order to embed sustainability in all areas of the university and ESD in teaching and learning.
JMU sees the integration of ESD into teaching as an opportunity to prepare students for the challenges of a changing world and to enable them to play an active role in shaping a sustainable future. By providing students with knowledge, skills and competences in the field of sustainability, JMU makes a significant contribution to overcoming global challenges and achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
