The role of higher education in the environmental revolution

The health of our planet is deteriorating by leaps and bounds and the need to protect it has become imperative.  

Climate change, global warming, massive loss of biodiversity, and an imminent crisis in access to resources and energy... Experts warn us that unsustainability will bring a series of severe consequences (which we are already experiencing) and we must take action to stop it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there are already more than 3 billion people affected by the degradation of ecosystems and high pollution rates, which are claiming the lives of more than a million endangered species of plants and animals..

However, there is still hope: you, the new generations. The last ones capable of saving the planet. But also the most aware and prepared to do so. 

We are facing a key period to save the world we call home. We are ready to improve the future of our planet, but we must be able to reduce our impact on the environment, ease the economy and stop mistreating it to start leaving a real positive footprint on society. 

The global environmental revolution is happening. And the protagonists will have to be, by necessity, the youngest generations (and the leaders of tomorrow), as you will be the ones in charge of leading this transition. 

And to do so, it is crucial to get the right education.  

The role of universities in the sustainable revolution

This new sustainable revolution requires urgent commitment and higher education plays a fundamental role here, as it has the power to train and help young people to discover and understand the issues our planet is facing and how they can affect our lives and the people and ecosystems around us. 

In addition, universities are responsible for building and forging the critical thinking of their students, feeding their hunger for knowledge, and giving them the necessary tools to be able to play a leading and active role in this revolution. One of their objectives must be to ensure that their students become true agents of change.

And to do so, they must work deeply on a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach in which the creation and dissemination of knowledge, through education, research, and, of course, the implementation of that learning, takes precedence.

As early as 1990, the University Leaders for a Sustainable Future created the Talloires Declaration, which outlined a comprehensive action plan with regard to the degradation that the environment was already suffering and the challenges brought about by the unsustainability of natural resources. 

That was more than 30 years ago! We can no longer ignore this situation, because not acting now has consequences. 

A university striving for a more sustainable world

Schiller International University Schiller, is a leading provider of educational programs that promote sustainability and encourage students to take positive action in their daily lives. 

We understand that the environment is not just a concern for future generations; it is a necessity for all of us. And we believe that education can help us make the right choices now.

We believe it's time to take our planet seriously and help protect it from further damage. We know the world is facing a major crisis, but we also know that education can be part of the solution. And that's why we work to ensure that our students are aware of what's happening in the world, they have the tools to take action , and can develop their ideas. 

Because we want you to make a difference. No matter where, at home, at school, in the companies where you work. We want you to be able to act as a true sustainable leader, with solutions that make a positive impact and redirect strategies towards those that leave a smaller footprint. We want you to be an agent of change. 

We want to fight for our planet and we want you to join us.