On Wednesday, May 18, 2022, in Berlin, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) was granted the first national ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) Award in the category of “Places of ESD” for its large variety of sustainability-related education offers and activities. The award was presented by Dr. Jens Brandenburg, Undersecretary of State with the Federal Minister of Education and Research, and President of the German UNESCO Commission, Professor Maria Böhmer.
The Karlsruhe School of Sustainability, an additional course on sustainable development, the campus garden, or the mobile laboratory MobiLab: KIT offers a number of sustainability-related courses and activities. As a place for sustainable thinking and acting, KIT qualifies young people for them to contribute to sustainable developments in the society, industry, and science. This concept convinced the jury of the competition for the first National Award – Education for Sustainable Development. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German UNESCO Commission granted the award to KIT in the category of “Places of ESD.” The prize money in the amount of EUR 10,000 will be used to extend the program of the project week “Sustainability Spring Days at KIT“
Sustainable thinking and acting are required to master challenges, such as climate change or long-term and socially equitable use of natural resources,” says the President of KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka. “KIT integrates education for sustainable development in its academic portfolio and imparts both application-oriented knowledge and skills as well as theories and methods. The goal is to strengthen individual acting under the aspect of sustainability. We are very happy about the National ESD Award. It confirms that we are on the right path.”
Sustainability Research at KIT
All eight KIT Centers, including the KIT Climate and Environment Center, the KIT Energy Center, and the KIT Humans and Technology Center, conduct interdisciplinary research into aspects of sustainability. Their results contribute to ten of the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations. ZAK | Centre for Cultural and General Studies offers interdisciplinary courses to all students and possibilities to acquire additional sustainability-related skills. Other institutions of KIT, such as the Academy for Responsible Research, Teaching, and Innovation (ARRTI), systematically enhance awareness of social responsibility. The Karlsruhe Transformation Center for Sustainability and Cultural Change (KAT) offers advice, training, participation, and research for transformation projects also beyond science. Work of KIT’s Center for the Education of Teachers (ZLB) and cooperation with the Sinsheim Climate Arena are aimed at turning teaching degree students into multipliers for sustainable development education.
National Award – Education for Sustainable Development
The National Award – Education for Sustainable Development is presented by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German UNESCO Commission under the UNESCO program “Education for Sustainable Development – Implementing Global Sustainability Goals.” It honors outstanding German ESD actors and initiatives that broadly transfer ESD to society. A jury of representatives of science, industry, public life, and civil society selected ten winners in the categories of “Places of ESD,” “ESD Multipliers,” “ESD Educational Landscapes,” and “Newcomer.” Each prize is worth EUR 10,000.
Further Information:
https://www.kit.edu/kit/nachhaltigkeit.php (in German)
https://www.mensch-und-technik.kit.edu/english/487.php
https://www.zak.kit.edu/begleitstudium-bene.php (in German)
https://www.kit.edu/kit/klimawandel-und-nachhaltigkeit.php (in German)
https://www.bne-portal.de/bne/en/home/home_node.html
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.