UNIVERSITAET VECHTA
The University of Vechta is a
relatively new campus university located in Lower Saxony/Germany that offers
ten academic programmes to approximately 5,000 students. Areas of research
include: education and discipline-specific pedagogies; social sciences, social
services (social work, gerontology, social services management), regional
development/rural areas; landscape ecology; social, political, cultural and
economic change, business ethics, and sustainable development. Its strategic
plan identifies internationalisation, sustainability, gender equality and
participatory research approaches as essential. The University of Vechta has
established an internal steering group for integrating the concept of
sustainable development in all areas and functions of the university. In 2017,
the University adopted Sustainability Guidelines. In Summer Term 2018 and 2019,
the University of Vechta implemented a series of staff traning workshops on
Education for Sustainable Development.
The
University of Vechta is dedicated to the development of innovative teaching and
learning settings, in particular linked to competence-based higher education.
For instance, the University offers service-learning, project-based and
inquiry-based courses in which students can learn with and from actors from
practice. In different study programmes, the university offers courses which
deal with (education for) sustainable development. For instance, at Bachelor
level students can study a major in “economics and ethics: social business”; and
as part of the Master of Education students can study a course on Education for
Sustainable Development. The University of Vechta is part of the Regional
Centre of Expertise (RCE) for Education for Sustainable Development Oldenburger
Münsterland. The University of Vechta is member of the German-speaking Network
“Teacher Education for Sustainable Development”.
