Description
Aim. To introduce participants to the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and demonstrate how these principles can be effectively integrated into higher education to cultivate learners’ ability to navigate complexity and contribute to sustainable futures.
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January 19, 2026, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. -
Online training -
Certificates issued -
The training will last 2 hours. -
Competence group – Group 2 -
Level A training program (for beginners)
Learning structure
Short description.
This interactive two-hour online workshop examines how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can be used in higher education. It equips students with sustain‘abilities’ (i.e., thinking on their feet; complexity thinking; working interdisciplinarily; creativity and innovation; thinking outside the box) which enable learners to thrive in dynamic and uncertain contexts. Grounded in the Gestalt-switching framework (learning to know, critique, make change, be, and care), ESD equips learners to navigate uncertainty and act as ethical contributors to sustainable futures.
Content.
The workshop will introduce ESD principles and their relevance for higher education, before showcasing practice through a course delivered to undergraduate sport students at the University of Gothenburg, Liverpool John Moores University, and Vytautas Magnus University.
Participants will engage with case-based pedagogy, where real-life dilemmas (e.g., unsustainable practices, ethical controversies, stakeholder conflicts) bridge theory and practice. Practical recommendations, assessment strategies, and tips will be shared, leaving participants with concrete ideas for embedding ESD into curricula.
Developed skills.
Improved awareness of ESD and its use in higher education.
Ability to design and structure cases that can be used in teaching.
Enhanced understanding of incorporating ethical, sustainable, and interdisciplinary perspectives into teaching practice.
Target group. VMU academic personnel.
Duration. 2 hours.
Place. Online training, MS TEAMS.
Professional development practices by groups of competencies. Group 2 – professional.
The direction of professional development practices. Level A training programme.
Teachers
The session will be led by Dr. Laura Purdy,
Senior Researcher at the Institute of Educational Research, Vytautas Magnus University.
Part of her work includes developing inclusive, engaging, and challenging university courses,
and curricular content that enable learners to think critically and ethically about sport.
In doing so, she aims to equip learners to recognise and confront unethical or problematic practices,
drive meaningful change, and contribute to the development of a more sustainable sport sector.