Last week I had the honor and privilege to lead the EAUC Sustainability Leadership Lab at Jesus College, Cambridge University. Joined by leaders from across the UK sector, my program team colleagues (Iain Patton EAUC, Janet Haddock-Fraser MMU, Dave Gorman Edinburgh University and John French CISL) and I explored what it means for universities and colleges to step up and embrace sustainability as the 'new normal'. Reframed as a strategic agenda for higher education, this amazing group of higher education leaders came together for three full days to learn more about delivering a more sustainable future for higher education and will work together over the coming year in pursuit of this mission.
Kicking off day 1's theme 'REFRAMING SUSTAINABILITY', participants reflected on Sustainable Self, and went on to examine Reframing Sustainability as a Strategic Agenda, Sustainability for Value Creation & Frameworks for Change. After an informal dinner, Day 2's theme of 'STRATEGIC SUSTAINABILITY AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT' took a deep dive into Sustainability for Institutional Success, Strategic Sustainability & Change and Adaptive Leadership & Communication. We also spent time exploring how we deal with Climate Distress and ‘Eco-anxiety’, joined by Rosemary Randall, Psychotherapist & Co-Founder of the Carbon Conversations project and Founder Member of the Climate Psychology Alliance. After a splendid formal College dinner, Dr. Nina Seega, Research Director for Sustainable Finance at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, gave a stellar talk on the finance sector. Day 3's theme of 'WALKING THE TALK' explored Healthy Buildings & Healthy Communities, Sustainability for Well-being & Strategic Negotiation capped with an Action Planning session. Throughout the program, participants worked in small group 'Pods' to undertake a series of exercises, from futuring to exploring equity.
This Sustainability Leadership lab is now nested in the EAUC Sustainability Leadership Academy, a year-long program of expert webinars, events and coaching/mentoring sessions for alumni of the program - now in its 4th year.
You can learn more about the program here and look out for the call for applications to join the 2021 cohort, see https://www.eauc.org.uk/shop/mms_single_event.php?event_id=6714. The program is designed to:
· Advance participants’ abilities as high-impact leaders;
· Learn about new frameworks, tools, case studies and roadmaps;
· Highlight the fast-moving nature of the field;
· Apply learning to organisational challenges and opportunities;
· Empower participants to close the gap from ‘knowing to doing’;
· Help participants promote sustainability for value creation;
· Support participants contribute to the co-creation of thriving, sustainable communities;
· Capture insights through an action research cycle;
· Deepen networks and relationships within the sector;
· Develop change agency in pursuit of sustainability within higher education and beyond.
