International Conference- Integrating Sustainability in Higher Education: Lessons learned and future perspective of the ACT4SDGs project (2024–2026)

This conference is open to the public, free and hybrid format, which will take place on the campus of EAFIT University in Medellín, Colombia.  Livestreaming available.

The main objective is to share the results, learnings, challenges and impacts of the ACT4SDGs project, in which work has been done on the integration of the SDGs and the ethical vision of the Earth Charter in various areas of academic teaching, in 10 universities in Latin America and four in Europe.  The Conference will provide a space for the exchange of experiences among the participating universities and identifying opportunities for collaboration and future projection for Education for Sustainable Development in higher education.

People who participate in person will be given a certificate of participation, from the Pedagogical University of Heidelberg (Germany) and EAFIT University (Colombia).

Specific Objectives

• Share the main experiences, achievements, and innovations developed by the participating universities during the implementation of the ACT4SDGs project. 
• Analyze the progress achieved in faculty professional development, curriculum mainstreaming, integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and institutional capacity building for sustainability. 
• Identify the main challenges, obstacles, and lessons learned throughout the implementation of the project. 
• Reflect on the impact of the project on faculty members, students, academic programs, and participating institutions. 
• Exchange good practices and strategies that contribute to strengthening university communities committed to sustainability. 
• Explore mechanisms for future collaboration among the participating universities to strengthen Education for Sustainable Development beyond the formal conclusion of the project. 
• Develop joint recommendations aimed at strengthening the role of higher education in achieving the 2030 Agenda, the Pact for the Future, and other international commitments related to sustainability. 
• Explore the scope of the Earth Charter as an ethical reference framework and educational tool for facilitating the mainstreaming of sustainability, using the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda as guiding principles.