Dear colleagues,

With this letter we sincerely want to invite you to participate in the projected activities of an international network focused on “Higher Education for Sustainable Development”. This project is initiated and coordinated by the Institute of Environmental and Sustainability Communication (INFU) of the University of Lüneburg, Germany. In autumn 2005, this institute was awarded the “UNESCO-Chair Higher Education for Sustainable Development”.

The efforts of the UNESCO-Chair concentrate on the development and establishment of an international research network. The objective of this network is to conjointly explore and analyse innovative methods of learning, teaching and research in a higher education that is aligned with the maxim of sustainable development.

On our website (http://www.uni-lueneburg.de/infu/chair) you will find detailed information about our opening session which took place in Lüneburg in September 2005 as well as about the Chair´s present and future objectives. In the future, this website will serve as a common information and communication platform for all network participants.

One intended project of this network is a cooperative survey about “Innovative approaches in teaching and learning sustainability in different countries” (working title). Within the scope of this project, data are to be collected, analysed and evaluated, a process that will lead to theoretical deductions. It yields a temporary state-of-the-art-assessment, which can be used for very pointed research activities (e.g. comparative studies) and for advancement in theory and practice.

For this purpose, we have developed a database where all institutions dealing with sustainability in Higher Education may register. The database structure allows for a distinct selection of institutional specifications with respect to their curricula so that the participating institutions can be divided into main groups. Furthermore, as all participants will have access to the database, it will both serve as a communication platform and as a shared knowledge resource.

Furthermore, the database is structured in a way that allows an upgrading during the research project. Thus, further characteristics of sustainable Higher Education may be integrated at a later point of time. These characteristics are to be developed in a second step, in cooperation with interested network participants.

You are all cordially invited to collaborate! We would like to ask you to register your sustainability-related study offering with our database, via a questionnaire. It will take you a just short moment of time! You will find the questionnaire at the following link:

http://www.uni-lueneburg.de/infu/chair/networking/institution.php

Please fill out the fields about general information and chose among the given details about the sustainability-related study offerings of your institutions.

We tried to develop the questionnaire as functional and understandable as possible. Anyway, if you have any complementing proposals or complaints about occurring inconveniences, don’t hesitate to contact us! In addition, please inform us about any problems with the database.

If you know about any other academic institution practicing HESD, please forward an e-mail address to our part, so we can invite the person in charge to join the network.

We would be pleased to receive a response of your part!

Thank you very much for your support! We will keep you informed about our chair activities!

Looking forward to working with you,
with my best regards,

Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen
_________________________________________________________________
Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication
UNESCO Chair "Higher Education for Sustainable Development"
Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen
Chairholder
Scharnhorsstr. 1, Building 14
D- 21335 Lüneburg
Phone: +49 (0) 4131 677-2920
Fax: +49 (0) 4131 677-2819
unesco@uni-lueneburg.de
http://www.uni-lueneburg.de/infu/chair