Wednesday 04-01-2017 - 12:06

More universities are integrating social and environmental sustainability into the formal and informal curriculum.

Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham Trent Students’ Union, and Anglia Ruskin University and Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union have been granted Responsible Futures accreditation.

Responsible Futures is an NUS sustainability programme that supports partnerships between students’ unions and institutions to foster Education for Sustainable Development. By embedding social and environmental ethics into the formal and informal curriculum, students are equipped to tackle the challenges of the century ahead – rather than to repeat the mistakes of the one behind us.

Those signed up to Responsible Futures are marked against an externally-assessed accreditation scheme. And, in the spirit of putting students at the centre of their learning, and to develop their skills and experience, students work as auditors to determine their institution’s progress on ESD. At Anglia Ruskin, a record-breaking 60 students applied to audit.

Through the programme, the NUS assists participating institutions with a structured framework of criteria to encourage the integration of ESD. The ultimate aim is that all graduates have the knowledge, skills, understanding and attributes required to make a positive difference in social and environmental change. Geographers, engineers, and artists; nurses, hairdressers, and lawyers; bricklayers, sociologists, and politicians – everyone has a part to play.

Nottingham Trent and Anglia Ruskin are now two of 13 institutions to have gained Responsible Futures accreditation.

Anglia Ruskin Vice Chancellor, Iain Martin, said, “This award reflects our university’s and the SU’s commitment to embedding sustainability and social responsibility across the formal and informal curriculum, and demonstrates to current and prospective students that a degree from Anglia Ruskin will help prepare them to prosper as Responsible Global Citizens of the 21st Century.”

Professor Edward Peck, Vice-Chancellor of Nottingham Trent University, said: “Nottingham Trent University continues to be one of the most sustainable universities in the world. As part of our curriculum refresh, every taught course at the University will include sustainability. We are therefore delighted with this accreditation, which demonstrates the partnership between the university and the students’ union in ensuring sustainability is embedded across the institution.”

If you’d like to join Responsible Futures, applications are open throughout the year. More information can be found on our rate card and our overview of Responsible Futures. If you have any questions, please contact Quinn Runkle.