The theme for the Symposium is “Mainstreaming the SDGs: Education and Impact”. The theme will be addressed through case study presentations on flagship projects from both the RCEs and University representatives. More details of speakers to come.
Symposium Details
Date: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
Time: 8.00am - 5.00pm
Where: 1PSQ Parramatta City campus (Level 9), Western Sydney University
Case Study Parallel Streams Program
Please download a draft copy of our Symposium speaker schedule (PDF, 294.52 KB) (opens in a new window) for the parallel case study session (subject to change). We have a mixture of international and domestic case studies being presented that relate to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and how it addresses and contributes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), bearing in mind the interlinkages among SDG goals and targets.
Abstract Summaries
People
- Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Preparedness encompassing well-being of all, well-being everywhere, well-being all the time, Dr. Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar
RCE Srinagar on pilot phase runs programmes ‘Mehfooz’ and ‘Mustaidi’ in Jarwal Block of Bahraich District of State of Uttar Pradesh in Northern India. Programme ‘Mehfooz’ aims at safety including well-being of school children in schools and beyond. ‘Mustaidi’ is being DRR Prepared and having complete well-being. - With great respect and with great affection: Reconnecting disaffected young people to school and community at Mt Druitt Learning Ground, Dr Brenda Dobia
Learning Ground was established as a community-based initiative with a brief to provide learning opportunities to the most culturally diverse and disadvantaged families in the Mt Druitt area. It provides a “safe haven” in which young people and families can acquire self-confidence, personal living, literacy and numeracy skills that they have experienced difficulty with at school. - Community Education Network involving Hawkesbury EarthCare Centre, Permaculture and multiple stakeholders, Mr Eric Brocken
The Hawkesbury EarthCare Centre and its associated networks, engage with a number of agencies, individuals and networks across potentially all sectors and levels of government. It is through the partnerships and networks that projects can increase sustainability and allow more widespread adoption of more sustainable practice. - Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Actioning the Global Goals in Policy, Curriculum and Impact, Dr Isabel Franco
Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HEfSD) is being significantly shaped by the global sustainability agenda. This presentation reports research that suggests that the advancement of HEfSD in policy, curriculum and impact depends largely on better understanding of existing gaps, target areas, commonalities and differences across regional HEfSD agendas. - “Machinaka no Furusato Kyoiku” Education of Hometown in Urban Area, Ms Miki Konishi
The project ‘Machinaka no Furusato Kyoiku’ is a new initiative, launched in 2015, for transforming education and learning of Okayama Municipal Korakukan High School. It aims to nurture youths who can think about local issues and contribute to building a sustainable community and society. - Development of Knowledge Brokering Module for Empowering Higher Education Leadership in ESD, Prof. Munirah Ghazali
As an active agent of social change, educational practitioners including policymakers, researchers, lecturers and students at the HEIs level should develop proper understanding to implement ESD practices in education both now and in the future. This project propose that educational practitioner need or require training, knowledge and approaches in the form of best practices to further enhance their ESD understanding and internalization to cultivate all citizens. - Be Able: Venturing Beyond Disabilities, Dr. Nasrul Anuar Abd Razak
Be Able: Venturing beyond Disabilities is a platform, where us as educator educate the disabilities on how to use the assistive devices properly, empowering them to a new level of personality in talking and communicating, and explore them to a possibilities of sports activities so that they can have a sustain self-rehabilitation. - Youth Problem solving project ‘Bridge to the World’, Ms Unji Lee
BTW is an ESD program that allows youth to think flexibly, and integrally above dealing specific area. It provides a chance for a multifaceted approach to issues by sustainable balance between 3 dimensions.
Planet
- Water Exploration and Conservation with Renewable Energy to Accomplish Sustainable Water Supply in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Dr Nanung Fitriyanto
This project applies the use of renewable energy by using solar cell technology and adjusting the technology of water uplifting among the populations. How can this project catalyze the involvement of stakeholders and public support? As water has been the primary needs of population, and given that the project is offering the ease of getting clean water and ensuring the sustainability of water supply for their needs, this necessarily explains their support and involvement. - Cooling the City, Mr Andrew Hewson
Penrith City Council formally adopted its Cooling the City Strategy in 2015. Since then, the Strategy has guided Council’s work in delivering a range of actions to create communities that are more resilient to our changing climate, and a region that is more liveable for current and future residents. - Asia-Pacific SDG Youth Challenge and Virtual Summit - Youth for the Goals, Ms Brittany Hardiman
Led by the Asia-Pacific regional youth leaders, the first preliminary Asia-Pacific Youth SDG Challenge commenced in February 2018 and focused on the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 13 Climate Action and Goal 14 Life Below Water. Collectively we have engaged with approximately 10,000 youth across the global and have worked on 20 youth-led projects in Malayasia, Vietnam, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Bogotá and Australia. - Empowering youth in Education for Sustainability through connection, creativity and action: Working meaningfully with local champions and place, Ms Leah Page
The project sought to foster new ways to collaborate among members, and with new partners, for sustainability education by creating youth leadership and learning opportunities that harness local knowledge, connect local leaders, create change, and inspire and cultivate our next generation of leaders. Primary and secondary students participated in student-led activities giving them a platform to be visible and active contributors to their community. - Education to create links: a case study of the Waterschool China Programme, Ms Lu Wan
One of important themes in sustainable education might be to rebuild these links of individuals with communities and with the nature, which are absent in the current formal education system. The case of SWAROVSKI Waterschool China Programme provides a vehicle to build these five links within the existing curriculum in formal education of China. Started in 2008, the programme use water and rivers as a focal point, tends to achieve both educational and ecological goals through fostering water stewardship and engaging youth and communities’ action on sustainable development. - Emerging Contaminants in Australian Waters, Dr Jason Reynolds
Emerging environmental pollutants include compounds that are not routinely monitored but which have the potential to cause adverse ecological impacts. Here we report on the presence and environmental fate of illicit compounds in Australia river systems. - Making Parramatta River Swimmable Again by 2025, Ms Sarah Cliff
The Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG) is an alliance of local and State government agencies and the community with the mission to make the Parramatta River swimmable again by 2025. A swimmable river means more than just swimming, and our ten step plan reflects that.
Prosperity
- Fostering a Blue Economy: How RCEs can lead the way in making money out of waste, Emeritus Professor Geoff Scott
How can we best make money out of waste? This session will refer to the 112 case studies of successful action outlined on the Blue Economy website. It will also briefly outline recent developments at the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship on inventing solutions to social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges and its role in promoting social as well as commercial entrepreneurship in Australia. - Healthy Body and a Healthy and Alert Mind ( “Lusog-Busog-Talino” ) : a Case Study in Nutrition Education, Dr Huberto Zanoria
The Healthy Body with a Healthy /Mentally alert Mind starts on the premise that a healthy body can be very alert and prepare mentally in all school challenges. Nutrition education goes beyond classroom discussions among children and are shared among volunteer parents. - Responsible Cafes – Volunteers and Local Government working together, Ms Jocelyn Howden and Mr Justin Murphy
Over three billion takeaway cups are used in Australia every year, almost none of which are recycled. HEN with the idea of addressing this problem contacted Hawkesbury City Council to form a partnership to deliver the Responsible Cafes in our local area. - New Zealand India Sustainability Challenge (#NZISC), A TERI- Education New Zealand (ENZ) Initiative, Ms Monmi Barua
The ‘'New Zealand- India Sustainability Challenge' was initiated by Education New Zealand and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in June 2017. The objective of this challenge is to encourage scalable and sustainable solutions to address environmental and societal challenges. - Implementation of the SDG at local level: Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Shoreline Ecosystems of Iskandar Malaysia (PESISIR)
PESISIR addresses concerns related to development in environmentally sensitive areas by increasing awareness, mainstreaming sustainability concept and resource-sharing to encourage systematic studies of natural ecosystems. These efforts i) improve policy-makers’ ability to make informed decisions; ii) enhance environmental coalitions and iii) improve stakeholders’ database and technical capacity. - P.E.A.C.E in Western Sydney, Ms Danielle Wolf and Ms Cheryl Jendrachowski
Western Sydney University students have developed the P.E.A.C.E. in Western Sydney campaign - Promotion, Education, Awareness, Campaign, and Empowerment. We are working to develop a framework to expand active projects, institute new initiatives, and cultivate partnerships
Workshop 1: Intergovnmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem (IPBES)
In this workshop you will find out more about the relevance of IPBES work program for RCE work especially in relation to SDG 14, be introduced to IPBES work program (conceptual framework, assessments, police support) and the current Asia-Pacific assessment and findings of IPBES.
Download the draft IPBES program (PDF, 26.5 KB) (opens in a new window) for Workshop 1. Please download and review the IPBES Questionnaire (DOC, 27.5 KB) (opens in a new window) prior to the workshop.
Workshop 2: Partnership Pedagogies for ESD - Fostering Inter-RCE Collaborations
This informative and interactive workshop is aimed at increasing inter RCE collaborations across the Asia Pacific region. Dr Jenny Pizzica from WSU Learning Transformations will introduce the general concepts of partnership pedagogies which will then be followed by participants brainstorming their own capabilities and then a speed dating /networking session for participants to meet other RCE A-P colleagues and discuss areas for collaboration.
Download the draft Partnership Pedagogies for ESD program (PDF, 22.03 KB) (opens in a new window) for Workshop 2.
Please see the RCE Regional Meeting and Symposium (PDF, 617.27 KB) (opens in a new window) program for full event details.
