Reinventing universities for a sustainable future must become a core mission of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) all over the world, and so it is, of course, one of the key topics of the 8th Higher Education in the World Report (HEIW). At GUNi, we are willing to foster action and engage HEIs towards Sustainable Development (SD).
Through this compilation of publications, GUNi presents paths for immediate action when it comes to SD. In this case, we present a podcast with the expertise and voices of Professor Daniella Tilbury, an academic leader and change maker credited with having developed the initial frameworks for higher education in the field of SD, and Didac Ferrer, Head of the Innovation and Community Office of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC).
Prof. Tilbury defends the importance of drawing from the positive and alternative futures, and leaving fear behind, to achieve a real transformation. She calls HEIs to become innovation hubs for new sustainable ways of living: HEIs must be more experimental and be ready to break the moulds through “decisive, brave leadership” from the top management.
In this podcast, Ferrer and Tilbury explore some best practices and future scenarios that we hope will enlighten and influence HEIs to make a real impact by committing with concepts such as transformation, inclusiveness and, overall, with Sustainable Development.
Prof Daniella Tilbury is an educator, policy expert and academic leader in sustainable development credited with having developed the initial frameworks for higher education in this field. She has been Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of Gibraltar, Dean of Sustainability and has held various University research positions, leadership roles and professorial Chairs in Australia, UK and Hong Kong.
Daniella was a member of the Board of WWF Australia, and she has been actively involved as an advisor to national HE agencies in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania. During 1995-2019 she chaired several UN Committees and was commissioned by UNESCO to develop think pieces, expert reviews, policy advice, frameworks and sector evaluations. Daniella is currently the UK government’s representative on the UN Economic Commission for Europe on matters relating to ESD and Chaired its Presidency event on education at CoP26.
He is coordinator of the Nexus24 Program of collaborative communities of the UPC. His field of responsibility focuses on sustainability and social commitment at the UPC, and he coordinates a team of about 20 people. He is an industrial engineer and holds a PhD from the UPC in materials science. His field of interest has evolved towards the integration of sustainable development in technological universities and, more recently, social and public innovation.