Dear Friends,
Your input is requested for the
4th Forum on Sustainability Science Programs
at the 2010 AAAS Annual Meeting
Thursday, February 18, 2010 San Diego, CA
The Forum on Sustainability Science Programs is an open, roundtable
discussion held each February that aims to stimulate exchange between
academic and research programs in Science and Technology for Sustainable
Development or Sustainability Science. Since the inaugural Forum at the
2007 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the key university actors in
Sustainability Science have attended the Forum to dialogue on collaborative
approaches to building this emerging field. Though participants hail from
diverse perspectives and institutions most are experiencing similar
challenges as they develop inter- and transdisciplinary programs, which
combine both basic and applied research methods.
The focus of the 2010 Forum is on Core Competencies in Sustainability.
The program also includes a networking reception and poster session for
sustainability science research.
The goal for the 2010 Forum is to emerge with a vetted set of core
competencies in sustainability for each academic level (Undergraduate,
Masters, and PhD). Previous discussion on course content and curriculum
development at the 2009 Forum in Chicago revealed that an important
prerequisite to such development is having a clear understanding of the core
competencies in sustainability expected of program graduates.
In preparation of the 2010 Forum, we are currently conducting a literature
review and a series of surveys. The survey linked to this e-mail represents
a large-scale attempt to compare core competencies in sustainability across
programs and scientific communities. We will solicit input now through
August 31st and compile a list of core competencies in sustainability which
will be available for review via email this fall. Based on this review and
additional sources (literature review and other surveys), a consolidated
draft list will serve as the starting point for our Forums discussions at
the Annual Meeting in February 2010.
We currently welcome any submissions regarding core competencies / learning
outcomes in sustainability (i.e., what students must know in order to
graduate). We are particularly interested in the perspectives from
sustainability science programs which focus on the way in which science and
innovation can be conducted and applied to meet human needs while preserving
the life support systems of the planet. Any programs which study
nature-society interactions and apply their resulting knowledge to create
sustainability transitions are encouraged to participate.
Submissions are being accepted via an online survey:
http://sustainabilityscience.questionpro.com. Please note that the survey
is expected to take 20-30 minutes to complete and cannot be saved; please be
sure to give yourself enough time to complete it.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions and be sure to stay on the
lookout for additional information later this summer regarding the poster
session.
Sarah Banas Mills
Program Associate
AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Sustainability
[email protected]
202-326-6492
Arnim Wiek
Assistant Professor
Arizona State University, School of Sustainability
[email protected]
480-965-2387
