Stockholm University is investing in sustainable teaching to prepare students for future challenges and to create a learning environment that drives societal development. Therefore Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching (CeUL) offers support to departments on what this can concretely mean in teaching and in the encounter with students.

Foto: Geralt/Pixabay

Today, serious efforts are being made at Stockholm University to reduce climate impact and promote sustainability, aiming to monitor resource use, travel, and other logistical factors relevant to the field. While these are essential aspects of the university’s responsibilities, they are not where we make our most significant contributions to a sustainable future.

Above all, it is through the research base we are grounded in and the educational initiatives we offer that we can contribute new knowledge and equip students to become change agents for sustainable societal development. Swedish higher education legislation also requires us to offer education that promotes sustainable development.

One way to respond to these needs is to design course and programme offerings at our departments so that they relate to sustainable development. This might involve formulating new local learning outcomes or developing new courses/programmes related to sustainability. One example of this is within the Faculty of Science, which in the autumn semester of 2026 will introduce sustainability into its new degree objectives. There, students graduating with a Bachelor's degree should “demonstrate an understanding of the concept of sustainability and the ability to critically assess its relevance to their main field of study.”

In the long run, the new challenges presented by sustainability issues could also inspire the development of new interdisciplinary programmes and courses that span different scientific disciplines.

There is now a need to initiate discussions on what this might concretely mean in teaching and in interactions with students:

•  What does it mean to develop teaching that increasingly takes sustainability issues into account?
•  What teaching methods are available to test and develop?
•  What research and proven experience can be drawn upon for support?

Book tailored support for your department

CeUL is launching an initiative through which departments can receive support in developing this vital work of integrating sustainability content and methods into teaching, and in creating a local structure that supports this.

Please feel free to contact us! We are happy to tailor a consultation effort (free of charge for departments) that suits the staff at your department to help initiate this work. This could take the form of a workshop, seminar, or short lecture, for example.