Manhattan University Professor Highlights Innovative Sustainable Development Learning Research Education
Dr. Pamela S. Chasek, a professor of political science at Manhattan University, published a new article researching best practices surrounding sustainability education in conjunction with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on college and university campuses.
Published in International Studies Perspective, the article explains how universities “have a key role to play in training students by embedding sustainable development principles.” The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by UN Member States in 2015, offers a “blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future,” according to the UN.
Titled, Implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Campus: An Exercise in Problem-Based Learning for a Sustainable University, Dr. Chasek documents collaborative learning projects carried out in the University’s environmental studies program. This included offering real-life examples on how higher education institutions can be instrumental in implementing and teaching these sustainability goals.
“Students have excelled at developing and completing hands-on projects to address selected Sustainable Development Goals right on their campus, building a better understanding of the global challenges of sustainability,” said Dr. Chasek, an expert focused on international relations and environmental politics. “The ‘think globally, act locally’ slogan has been an integral part of the environmental movement since the 1970s. It embodies the idea that instead of waiting for grand breakthroughs to ‘fix the world,’ people should make environmentally conscious decisions in their everyday actions. This type of problem-based learning makes this slogan real and shows how a set of global goals can provide a roadmap to making a university campus more sustainable.”
Students involved in the project tackled various sustainability issues on campus, proposing solutions, and presenting their ideas to the University administration, where they gained valuable experience in sustainability planning, teamwork, and problem-solving. Some of the students’ proposals addressed reducing waste, including plastics, paper, and food; composting; water and energy conservation; renewable energy; and flooding.
Previously, Dr. Chasek has published a number of books and research on global environmental politics and diplomacy around the Sustainable Development Goals. She is also the co-founder and executive editor of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, a reporting service on United Nations environment and development negotiations.