The 5th International Conference on Sustainable Education (ICSE) 2023 organized by Mobius Foundation in New Delhi will focus on ‘Climate Action and Education for Sustainability’. Register now.
This article is sponsored by the Mobius Foundation.
Uttarakhand is facing serious crisis due to heavy rains and floods. Reports indicate that this natural calamity claimed 85 lives in the state and caused a loss of Rs 1,000 crore. Other parts of India are also facing extreme weather conditions, which are linked to climate change.
A 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that the global temperature increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius in 2011-2020 compared to 1850-1900. The report emphasized the importance of education in combating global warming and achieving sustainable development.
The Mobius Foundation is dedicated to contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through various initiatives – one of which is the International Conference on Sustainable Education (ICSE). Now in its fifth year, the conference focuses on exploring the details and importance of sustainable education as a catalyst for change and transformation.
ICSE 2023 Coordinator Dr Ram Booz termed the conference as the flagship program of Mobius Foundation. He says they strongly believe in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which talk about education as a key catalyst for change to find solutions to the climate crisis.
“The UN SDGs are the foundation of humanity’s survival in the 21st century. They guide us on how to fight climate change, create better health, access affordable energy and fight poverty. We also feel that education can pave the way for transformation, which we at ICSE We want to give stakeholders and students an opportunity to come together to encourage collective action and share ideas to combat climate change,” says Dr Ram.
The theme of ICSE 2023 is ‘Education for Climate Action and Sustainability’. It will be held on 19 and 20 September 2023 at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi. The conference will bring together professionals, educators, leaders, policy makers, educators and students to collaborate on climate change solutions.
“This conference provides an exceptional opportunity for academics, researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders to come together and exchange ideas, strategies, and innovative solutions to effectively address the global challenges of climate action and sustainability through education. We will demonstrate,” adds Dr Ram.
They aim to inspire and motivate young people to pursue sustainable solutions through success stories and case examples. “Youth play a vital role in many of the Sustainable Development Goals, today and tomorrow. Be it the SDGs related to hunger, quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth or reduced inequality, all these changes start with the “youth”. We tend to follow what the youth do,’ says Pradeep Burman, President, Mobius Foundation
ICSE 2023 is the Chief Guest Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who will inaugurate the conference. Other notable attendees included Dr Anil Prakash Joshi – environmentalist, green activist and founder of the Himalayan Environment Study and Conservation Organization (HESCO); and Jadav “Molai” Payeng – environmental activist, forest activist, best known as the Forest Man of India.
including sustainability in national education
Their ultimate goal is to improve the national education framework and curriculum. This is in line with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which seeks to include environmental education in the school curriculum. NCERT is actively working towards this by developing the National Curriculum Framework.
“NEPA is a big change. It is important to add special courses to make the curriculum ‘green’ while developing the new framework. We will have experts from the education sector and ministries in our conference, which we hope will empower teachers,” adds Dr Ram.
Previous ICSE conferences have attracted around 1,000 participants from 40 different countries. This year’s conference will feature notable speakers such as Dr. Jane Goodall, Founder, Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), UN Messenger of Peace; Karthikeya Sarabhai, Founder and Director, Center for Environmental Education; Dr Viva Dhawan, Director General, Terry; Pramod Sharma, Senior Director of Education, Environmental Education Foundation; among others.
You can register for ICSE 2023 here.
(Editing by Pranitha Bhat)