The concept of sustainability is introduced to Geography and Environmental Science students early in the programme and continues to be embedded throughout. While this disciplinary area is one where links to sustainability are easy to make, sustainability can be integrated into all disciplinary areas through graduate attributes.
Sustainability is a key aspect of global citizenship, which involves developing an understanding of the wider world and our place in it. Through engaging with their programmes and contributing to their communities, our graduates should be equipped as responsible global citizens, ready to tackle global and local challenges in an inclusive and sustainable way.
To enable students to develop graduate attributes that are relevant to sustainability and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability must be embedded into the curriculum. In the School of Geography and Environmental Science, this work begins from the first year of students' programmes.
All first-year students undertake a module called 'Practice in Geography/Environmental Science', where sustainability is the main focus. During this module, students explore the history of sustainability. This involves looking at the global policies on sustainability from 1987, as well as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
Different aspects of sustainability are examined, including sustainable water management and sustainable food production. During the module, students are encouraged to reflect on what sustainability means to them.
Students' engagement with sustainability continues into their second year. The Living Laboratory project brings academics and students together to practice sustainable solutions on the campus. Universities such as Cambridge, Edinburgh and Harvard also participate in this project. At Queen Mary, there are plans to monitor changes in air temperature and humidity within the library's living walls.