The project SUSTAINICUM aims at fostering sustainability in higher education teaching as well as connecting different disciplines. Sustainable development is such a complex and multifaceted field of study, which requires an interdisciplinary and holistic approach. But – at least in some Austrian universities – we face the challenge that researchers and lecturers from different academic disciplines deal with sustainability topics but do not know from each other. SUSTAINICUM should counteract this development by identifying and mapping the various facets of sustainability in higher education teaching. For this purpose an online platform was developed where a variety of different types of teaching resources can be collected and displayed. These resources (building blocks, teaching methods, lecture notes and teaching modules) should support teachers both in terms of content and through the practical application of innovative teaching methods, as well as promote systemic and holistic thinking. They can range from experiments, educational games, tools or small projects to comprehensive teaching units and innovative teaching methodologies that foster different skills and integrative perspectives. A particular focus is on the fields of climate, energy, resources, growth, resilience and risk, but also aspects of education and lifelong learning, sustainable urban and regional development, health and quality of life, human rights, and mobility are being addressed. A focus on ecologic aspects should furthermore stimulate interest, particularly among female students, for the MINT disciplines of mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology.

As of October 2013 approximately 140 teaching resources are online available in German and English language. The first pool of resources was submitted by various professors and lecturers mainly from the three partner universities in the course of an open call for submissions. All resources were peer reviewed, revised and finally uploaded on the platform (see www.sustainicum.at/en/home). The resources at this platform are freely available for use in teaching and planning. University educators can on the one hand utilize the existing resources or on the other hand also share their own materials, methods and concepts regarding sustainability-related topics. Hence we like to ensure that university educators from various academic disciplines have the opportunity to include teaching materials and methodologies into their lectures that address sustainability issues. Consequentially the overall goal would be that every university student will at least once be confronted with sustainability issues during his/her study.

The project is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research.