1:00 pm - 4:30 pm 28/03/2023

Online Event

A partnership event with the University of Huddersfield, the University of Liverpool and the University of the West of England.

Summary

This online event provided an opportunity for those involved in enterprise and entrepreneurship education and support to consider their work in relation to planetary sustainability. Whilst, in the title of the workshop, we use ‘climate-action’ as a short-hand, this event appreciates the complex and interacting planetary boundaries which provide a ‘safe operating space’ for humanity and which are being exceeded. EE in higher education exists within this broad context of climate and ecological crisis and this event helped attendees reflect upon this and introduced them to practical strategies to take action.

The workshop included keynote presentations which prompted attendees to consider the wider, ecological and social dimensions in which EE is embedded. In addition, attendees learnt about two EERPF projects which are taking different but complementary strategies to motivating action in this area. The University of Huddersfield and the University of Liverpool shared the ideas behind its influencer-focussed project and insights from multi-stakeholder workshops to develop new ideas for practice and provision. The University of the West of England shared the ideas behind its practitioner-focussed project with insights from working with schools, pupils and university students on this issue.

In addition, attendees were facilitated to meet each other and be in dialogue about existing practice and policy and to what extent it is enabling or hindering change.

Speakers and Facilitators

Workshops were provided by: Catherine Brentnall (the University of Huddersfield) and David Higgins (the University of Liverpool), who are working on the EERPF project ‘Enterprise Education and Planetary Sustainability: What can EE do?’; and Lauren Davies and colleagues (University of the West England), who are working on the EERPF project ‘Towards Climate Change Action: The role of entrepreneurial design thinking in sustainability education’.

Speakers also included Marta Nowicka, Project Manager at SOS-UK (Students Organising for Sustainability UK) and Anna Watkins, Founder of Uncommon Alchemy.

Benefits to Delegates

– The opportunity to consider, question and re-imagine the role of enterprise educators in relation to the climate crisis and ecological crisis as society tries to shift to a sustainable pathway.

– Ideas for how they could take climate action as enterprise educators through influencer and practitioner strategies.

– The opportunity to engage in dialogue regarding the role of policy in driving the enterprise education and education for sustainability agendas, and the intersections between the two.

– The opportunity to connect with sustainability and climate-action interested colleagues to share practice and build connections.

Presentations

Climate Action for EE Educators (Catherine Brentnall, David Higgins)
Towards Climate Change Action: The Role of Entrepreneurial Design Thinking in Sustainability Education (Lauren Davies)
The Need for ESD – Enterprise Educators keynote (Marta Nowicka)

Summary of tools and resources (Catherine Brentnall)

Attendee details