[WLRC Nov 2023]: Water and Land Resource Centre (WLRC,) in association with Bern University of Teacher Education (PHBern) and Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) of University of Bern organizes workshop entitled, “ Education for Sustainable Development” on the 22nd of November 2023 at Interluxury Hotel, Addis Ababa.
The workshop aims to strengthen awareness on sustainable development (SD) and education for sustainable development (ESD) presenting preliminary evidence on Ethiopia’s policy provision, curriculum integration, education leaders and teachers’ understanding as well as identify intervention areas.
The Director General of WLRC, Dr. Gete Zeleke in his welcoming address explains the transdisciplinary engagement of stakeholders in relation to sustainable development in all SDGs in general and education in particular. Dr. Gete states the need of promoting education for all development sectors across the world and in Ethiopia as Education is the mother of all other achievements in line with the 2030 SDGs.
Two opening remarks made by the Academic Vice President of AAU Dr. Jelu Oumer and the delegate of the State Minister for General Education Mrs. Meseret Bekele. Dr. Jelu Oumar states the current changes and continuities in the Ethiopian Education sector and how the research and academia support towards achieving the 2030 SDGs referring the past grand plans and achievements of the sector in Ethiopia. Mrs. Meseret Bekele on her hand states about the government reform activities taking place in the education sector and the need for research-driven scientific explanations to make fact-based decisions on the reform.
The co-organizer of the workshop Dr. Dawit Mekonnen, Associate Professor of education and behavioural science in Addis Ababa University presents on the analysis of selected policies, curricular materials, and teachers and educational leaders’ awareness on SD and ESD. In addition to this, Dr. Matthias Probst and Debora Birchler share the Swiss experience on how to integrate SD and ESD in secondary and higher education.
The participants of the workshop are delegates’ state ministers, CEOs, and Director from Ministry of Education, vice heads of regional education bureaus, academic vice presidents of universities, deans of college of education, and researchers on the area.