ESD or Education for Sustainable Development is a framework developed by UNESCO to develop knowledge, skills, values and behaviours in youth and people for sustainable development under the present challenging conditions, including that of climate change. It recognises that to operate within the Earth’s ecological limits learners of all ages must assume active roles to understand, accept and collectively work towards adapting to and mitigating climate change.
Presently, educational institutions are being asked to respond to the call for integrating ESD into their curricula and train students to become sustainability champions. However, in this essay in the Diplomatic Courier, my doctoral student Alejandro Álvarez-Vanegas and I argue that the existing system of higher education institutes (HEIs) cannot deal with these new demands. We propose that the need of the hour is what we term as the Quadro Helix model, a new model of cooperation between state bodies, educational institutions, firms and NGOs.
Our thesis is based on the evolution of the education model of Friend in Need (India), the NGO which I run and in which Alejandro and many other doctoral students and professionals are active. It illustrates the concept of multiple value creation, one of the favourite mechanisms for positive change evoked by my colleague Rene Kemp. Under the FIN Quadro-Helix Model, all teachers are volunteers and not only do students learn about the core concepts of sustainability transitions along with practical skilling for sustainability and employability, but the education fees to FIN also support our charitable development activities in Kameswaram village, such as toilets construction, campaigns against littering, beautification of public spaces and gardening and games classes in kindergartens and schools. Thus, through in-house or third-party payments, FIN helps academic institutions ensure that their students are trained in ESD, which in turn serves to accompany the development process of an isolated coastal village in India.
