Education for sustainable development in BRICS: Zoom on higher education is published by AOSIS Scholarly Books.
In the past ten years, the concept of education for sustainable development has become one of UNESCO’s key educational initiatives to address current global challenges. However, the attention was mainly devoted to primary and secondary education, and higher education was somewhat neglected. The primary focus on basic education has also diverted academic attention from the research exploring the relationship between higher education and sustainable development. Only recently has the academic discourse on this topic begun to gain ground. On that note, this book is meant to place higher education at the core of the necessary transformations to create awareness of more sustainable practices and policies.
Copyright (c) 2022 Ewelina K. Niemczyk, Zacharias L. de Beer (Volume editor)
This book is long overdue. Higher education exists within society and serves society as awhole, and societal challenges drive education. The attainment of sustainable development goals (SDGs) (which reflect societal needs) requires aconcerted effort, especially the contribution of higher education. The role that BRICS countries are playing in this regard is commended as captured herein. This book extensively describes how much universities in BRICS countries have achieved in ashort period of time in improving ‘access’ and ‘equity’ as key universal principles in education in attaining the SDGs of the United Nations. The notion that education, especially higher education, is meant for the elite is dispelled in this book. The book illustrates that BRICS governments and their higher education are animportant vehicle in the attainment of the global SDGs. Higher education institutions from many countries, including developed countries, can learn so much from what is documented in this book.
Prof. Ntlantla Sebele, Department of Education Management, Law and Policy, Faculty of Education, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa