Education for sustainable development at Chemnitz University of Technology

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the current state of education for sustainable development (ESD) at Chemnitz University of Technology (CUT) and to propose a guide for analysing sustainability at higher education institutions (HEI) in terms of implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and sustainability dimensions in the cognitive domain of education.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a new combination of two frameworks, the “Phase Model of Sustainability in MBA (Master of Business Administration) Education”, developed by Hart et al. (2017), to classify sustainability-focused topics and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO’s) learning objectives for ESD (UNESCO, 2017) to classify sustainability-related topics. This paper analysed CUT’s study programs and faculties, the websites of the study programs and the (junior) professorships, using documentary analysis with a new set of keywords relating to the topic of incorporating sustainability in curricula.

Findings

The faculties and study programs of CUT are at different stages of integrating ESD. However, topics such as sustainable energy and production, recycling, sustainable management and innovation are prominent in the educational offerings of CUT. As the university is a technical university, the focus on these topics reflects the general direction of the organisation. Based on this study results, this study gives recommendations for further development for ESD at CUT.

Originality/value

This paper presents the case of CUT and a new guide for analysing sustainability at HEI, including recommendations for further development in relation to ESD.

Citation

Albert, M. and Uhlig, M. (2022), "Education for sustainable development at Chemnitz University of Technology", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 23 No. 6, pp. 1229-1249. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2021-0078