Higher education is operating in a difficult climate, facing immense financial, political and social pressures. Against this backdrop, it can be tempting to turn inwards and revert to institutional silos. However, sustainability, as a global problem, asks something different of us. It depends on our willingness to learn across contexts, share practice generously and remain open to ideas that travel.
In March 2025, AdvanceHE published the Education for Sustainable Development Curriculum Design Toolkit. Developed through the CRAFTS methodology, the toolkit offers a structured but flexible approach to embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in higher education curricula. It supports colleagues to analyse stakeholder needs, map existing provision, identify opportunities for development, redesign modules or programmes with ESD in mind, and plan for implementation and evaluation. In practical terms, it is designed to help colleagues move beyond rhetorical commitment and towards curriculum design choices that build meaningful sustainability knowledge and capabilities in students, avoiding simply 'bolting-on' topics or approaches.
Following the publication of the ESD Curriculum Design Toolkit, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) invited the authors, Dr Alison Calvert and Dr Kieran Higgins, to deliver a cross‑institutional collaboration led by the UNSW Education for Sustainable Development Community of Practice (ESD CoP). The initiative aimed to strengthen educator capability in embedding sustainability principles within curriculum and to support the university‑wide transformation of teaching and learning aligned with UNSW’s Progress for All Strategy and Societal Impact Framework. The ESD CoP comprises more than 250 academic and professional staff from across all faculties and fosters an ecology of teaching and learning as social practice through a vibrant learning community that shares exemplary practice and resources in education for sustainable development.
During the visit, Alison and Kieran delivered a series of hands-on workshops across UNSW Sydney and Canberra, creating a shared environment for practical learning and critical reflection. The sessions supported educators to work through the Toolkit in a structured way, moving from mapping and analysis to redesign and action planning, while engaging directly with the realities of their own disciplines and teaching contexts. In parallel, they also engaged with UNSW senior leaders in discussions on embedding ESD at a curriculum and institutional level, helping to connect classroom practice with broader strategic direction.
Truly outstanding workshop! We’ve developed a sustainability-focused business course from first principles and have been looking at how to continue evolving it in a meaningful way. You’ve shared an amazing set of resources to structure and strengthen the work we’re doing. Greatest thanks!Professor Kerry Humphreys, School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, UNSW Business School
It was an excellent workshop that encouraged meaningful reflection on how to embed the SDGs into teaching practice, even within a single module. The most valuable aspect was its practical and implementable approach, which made it easy to see how sustainability principles can be seamlessly integrated into existing course content. Overall, it was an engaging and inspiring session that strengthened my confidence in incorporating ESD in my teaching.Dr Faiza Majid, Senior Lecturer, School of Banking & Finance, UNSW Business School
The impact was evident at multiple levels. Participants reported increased confidence and capability in embedding sustainability into their curriculum in meaningful ways, moving beyond surface-level inclusion towards more intentional design. At the same time, engagement with senior leadership helped strengthen alignment with UNSW’s Progress for All Strategy and Societal Impact Framework, reinforcing a shared commitment to embedding sustainability across teaching and learning. The initiative also strengthened connections within the ESD CoP and beyond, encouraging a sense of shared purpose and opening pathways for ongoing collaboration, including with colleagues from partner institutions In this way, the workshops built individual capability and contributed to a growing collective capacity to embed ESD across the university.
Alison and Kieran’s visit to UNSW had meaningful impact, engaging and collaborating with our senior leaders in focused discussions on embedding education for sustainable development across the curriculum. This work offered valuable opportunities to explore ESD in practice, demonstrates our leadership in this space, and is strongly aligned with our Progress for All Strategy and Societal Impact Framework.Associate Professor Karin Watson, Director, Education Excellence, UNSW
During our time together, we had many questions in common. How do we avoid treating sustainability as optional or add-on? How do we support time-poor staff to integrate ESD in ways that are pedagogically appropriate? How do we design curricula that prepare students for complexity, uncertainty and responsibility in a way that is meaningful for what they have chosen to study?
But these are not questions any institution should have to answer alone. Collaboration allows us to see our own contexts more clearly, but also test our assumptions, and mutually challenge and support each other.
Collaboration, especially on a global scale, may feel like a luxury, but really it is how the sector remains alive, relevant and capable of responding to the sustainability crises we face. Climate change and poverty will not stop at institutional and national boundaries, so neither should we. When institutions create this space to share practice, we can strengthen the curriculum and the collective capacity of higher education to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Dr Alison Calvert is a Senior Lecturer in Food Chemistry at Queen’s University Belfast. Dr Kieran Higgins is a Lecturer in Higher Education Practice at Ulster University. Emma Mills is a Senior Lecturer in Design at University of New South Wales Dr George Joukhadar is a Senior Lecturer in Information Systems and Technology Management at University of New South Wales.