SETU has launched its Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Academy to support staff and students to embed ESD within teaching, learning and assessment.
Preparing graduates to navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world matters more than ever. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) supports learners to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to respond to environmental, social, economic and technological challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future.
SETU has developed the ESD Academy to support sustainability learning and engagement across the university community. The Academy will provide workshops, resources, professional development opportunities and practical support for staff and students to embed ESD within teaching, learning, assessment, research and campus life.
This approach has been developed in collaboration with the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) ESD Academy and colleagues in Dublin City University (DCU), supporting the sharing of ESD expertise, resources and practice across institutions. The initiative also aligns with national momentum around Education for Sustainable Development, including the forthcoming national ESD maturity framework for impact measurement and benchmarking, to which Michelle Maher, SETU Sustainable Education Lead contributed.
The establishment of the SETU ESD Academy demonstrates a clear commitment and willingness to collaborate on ESD across institutions and provides a unique opportunity to learn from each other and our regional contexts to support and empower our students, staff, and communities to become agents of change.
Dr Mark Kelly Head of ATU Centre for Sustainability
Yesterday’s launch event brought this shared vision for ESD to life across SETU campuses. Dr Mark Kelly facilitated the interactive Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 workshop, where a cross campus group of staff explored the interconnected nature of the SDGs and the importance of collaboration, systems thinking and collective action. Throughout the session, colleagues shared examples of ESD already happening across disciplines, while also exploring opportunities to strengthen collaboration through EU-CONEXUS partnerships.
Discussions also highlighted the significant amount of ESD activity currently happening across SETU. The Academy provides an opportunity to connect and showcase this work across the university community.
Discussions throughout the day highlighted the engagement with ESD across SETU, with colleagues and students sharing ideas, experiences and future plans across disciplines and campus. It is fantastic to see such collective approaches in action, alongside a real willingness to collaborate across disciplines and across the sector. The Academy provides a space to continue these conversations through CPD, workshops, collaborative projects and the sharing of practice, bringing people together around a shared goal of taking action for a more sustainable and just future.
Michelle Maher SETU Sustainable Education Lead
Student voice is central to SETU’s sustainability strategy and to the embedding of ESD across education. SETU has facilitated workshops and engagement sessions with students from across the university to understand what they want to see in relation to sustainability and ESD. Designing with and for students means recognising students as co-creators and active partners in decisions that shape their futures.
In this context, SETU student Andrea Sofia Zukch shared reflections on sustainability from the student perspective and the role students can play as active contributors and change-makers within the university community.
When students are empowered to lead, sustainability becomes more than a goal-it becomes a movement. It was an honour to witness universities working together to champion sustainability and amplify the student voice in shaping a better future. I was proud to speak on the importance of student voice in sustainability and to share my experiences in driving action for Sustainability in my discipline and how student involvement can drive meaningful progress towards the SDGs.
Andrea Sofia Zukch 4th year Pharmaceutical Science student
The day also reflected the broader ambition of the SETU Sustainability Strategy 2026–2030 showcasing how sustainability is being embedded across teaching, research, campus life and student engagement activities. SETU campuses were alive with activity on the day with Energy Workshops, Sustainability Bootcamps and final-year SDG aligned science poster presentations.
The Sustainable Development Office is delighted to offer a range of ESD workshops and engagement activities for both staff and students, including the SDG 2030 Game. To organise an ESD workshop or learning session, or to learn more about the SETU ESD Academy, please contact Michelle Maher, SETU Sustainable Education Lead – [email protected].