Working together for the future: ESD workshop with Jordanian and Lebanese universities

International networking for sustainable teaching 

Representatives from renowned universities and organisations took part in the workshop, including Yarmouk University (YU), Al Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), University of Petra (UoP), American University of Technology (AUT), DxTalks Jordan, American University of Science and Technology (AUST) and the Lebanese American University (LAU). The organising team consisted of Prof. Dr Wiltrud Terlau, Dr. Eefje Aarnoudse and Silvia Berenice Fischer from the International Centre for Sustainable Development (IZNE).

Practical approaches for university teaching 

The workshop focused on the question of how ESD can be specifically anchored in various disciplines. In interactive group work, the participants developed practical teaching approaches on topics including:

• Landscape Architecture & Sustainability (e.g. reforestation, solar energy, water harvesting, Smart Greenhouse),
• Social Responsibility in Teaching (e.g. mandatory volunteering, campus advocacy, case studies),
• Secure Institutional & Business Systems (e.g. secure digital infrastructures, ethics, systems thinking).

In the process, key ESD competences such as critical thinking, systems thinking, normative competence, strategic action, collaboration and integrated problem solving were jointly developed. The examples developed related thematically to SDGs 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15.

Takeaways and outlook 

The workshop revealed that ESD is already partially embedded within the curricula of the participating universities—sometimes as mandatory components, sometimes as elective offerings. This is increasingly complemented by student sustainability clubs, e-learning centres, blended-learning formats, and leadership or innovation hubs. The workshop therefore served not only as a platform for exchange but also as a springboard for further developing and strengthening sustainable teaching and learning formats.