RCE Greater Western Sydney-2012

Submitted by RCEgscott on Tue, 2012-08-28 00:00
1. Leadership, Vision and Objectives
1. Vision of your RCE: 
The Vision of this RCE is to use GWS as a living laboratory for learning about and addressing the key challenges of environmental, economic, cultural and social sustainability facing the region; and to deliver this vision through collaborative action learning programs that are relevant, innovative, engaged and have a regional narrative. The key sustainability challenges facing the region being addressed by RCE-GWS are: transitioning to a low carbon economy; developing sustainable communities - health, housing, educational participation and transport, ensuring agricultural sustainability and food security and conserving biodiversity and river health.
2. Leadership structure
a. Administration: 
3
b. Transactional : 
4
c. Transformational : 
3
2. Social Network
3. Core partners: 
RCE-GWS has twenty four core partners as listed on the RCE-GWS website: http://www.uws.edu.au/rce/rce/partners
4. Cooperation and communication : 
RCE-GWS holds three regional forums for all partners annually and has established 4 core working groups. Communication is via phone and email with the recent creation of an RCE-GWS newsletter to keep partners updated. The RCE-GWS website provides a comprehensive overview of activities: www.uws.edu.au/rce.
5. Facilitating development
Connections / Partnership with
UN institutions
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
United Nations Univeristy and UNICEF
Other international organizations
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
International Association of Universities; Copernicus Network
Other RCEs
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Severn, BC, Saskatchewan, Kerkrade; Penang, Beijing; East Kalimatan
International experts
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Professor Charles Hopkins, UNESCO Chair Teacher EfS; Professor Daniella Tilbury, Chair Compernicus; Lyle Benko, Professor Dzul Razak
Expert organizations at national, regional and global levels
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Australian Government Green Skills Agreement Implementaion Group; NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.
6. Social network
a. Information network (exchanging information, e.g. building up a database for SD projects): 
2
b. Knowledge network (creating knowledge by collaboration, e.g. finding synergies between partners by experience exchange): 
4
c. Innovation network (creating innovation by co-creation and shared vision,e.g. investigating new solutions for challenges by f: 
4
3. Participation
7. Participation of actors : 
RCE-GWS partners actively particpate in the development of projects. The forums provide an opportunity for partners to connect with each other and work collaboratively. Coordination of the RCE-GWS activities rests with the host university - the University of Western Sydney.
8. Participation opportunities
a.Informational participation (people get informed about decisions and actions): 
2
b.Consultation participation (people are asked about their needs and opinions): 
2
c.Decision influencing participation (people are involved in decision making processes): 
6
4. Education & Learning
9. Educational activities : 
The RCE-GWS is working in partnership with UWS to build its campus as a living laboratory for learning about, influencing and researching sustainability. This is being used as a resource for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) and school students of GWS along with a wide range of community groups and organisations. UWS has set sustainability as a development priority as it relates to GWS for its curriculum. RCE-GWS, with UWS, is leading a national teacher education for sustainability project.
10. Competences and capabilities : 
The development of VET, university and school student in GWS who are sustainability literate, change implementation savvy and who have reflected upon their tacit assumptions about what constitutes a sustainable society, including in the distinctive context of GWS.
Connections / Partnership with
a. Access to quality basic education
yes/no: 
No
If yes, give examples: 
This is already in place - Key educational partners in the RCE have taken an active leadership role in basic education including adult basic education for more than 3 decades.
b. Training for different sectors of the society
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Teachers@sustainability pilot
c. Public awareness
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
National Climate Action Summit in GWS April 2012.
d. Reorientation of existing education
yes/no: 
Yes
If yes, give examples: 
Alive! youth engagement in the Hawkesbury LGA; teacher professional development, community education via the National Climate Action Summit and public education days - for example see Recovering Redbank Creek www.hen.org.au
12. Educational activities
a. Theory (communicating of ESD principles, strategies, examples): 
1
b. Discussion (knowledge exchange and mutual learning on ESD): 
2
c. Interactive & Multidimensional (Action oriented learning, e.g. workshops, intergenerational, interdisciplinary,…) : 
7
5. Research Integration
13. Research & Development (R&D): 
The 4 RCE action teams are all invovled in a range of action research projects. In addition the UWS partner gives focus to engaged research on the key social, cultural, economic and sustianabilty challenges facing in GWS. for details see: http://www.uws.edu.au/sustainability/sustainability/research
14. Research partners : 
UWS is the main research arm of the RCE and partners with a variety of institutions. Please refer to the weblinks for a comprehensive list of activities: www.uws.edu.au/rce/research www.uws.edu.au/sustainability/research
15. Description of research
a. Disciplinary (focusing on one discipline of research, e.g. social aspects) : 
1
b. Interdisciplinary (taking interrelations between disciplines into account, e.g. economic effects on the environment and peopl: 
6
c. Transdisciplinary (involving affected people into your research activities, e.g. interviews with affected people): 
3
Tagging
Country: 
Australia
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Type: 
Project Reports