To accelerate Education for the Sustainable Development Goals among our students, the SDGs have been integrated into a compulsory, semester-long, language proficiency module.
Since the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted unanimously by all United Nations Member States in 2015, Education for the Sustainable Development Goals (ESDGs) became a vital mission.
With this call for action in mind, the School of International Studies of the Renmin University of China intensified efforts to integrate the SDGs into its curricular activities.
The study plan of some courses can be more easily adapted to integrate ESDGs. For this reason, language proficiency classes were chosen as an ideal candidate.
While learners of all grade levels should acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, this initiative focuses on undergraduate students. It is our belief that they will be part of the generation of leaders, decision-makers, and practitioners that will shape the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Decade of Action.
Specifically, this initiative targets all the undergraduate students of the School of International Studies, for whom this course is compulsory during their first year of study. Furthermore, students of other departments can choose it as an elective class.
The aim of this project is to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable development issues and combine this with training in key transferable skills that each learner needs to take part in activities and projects related to the SDGs.
To achieve this goal, the course was designed to combine SDGs knowledge and language proficiency skills. Special attention was paid to the instruction of language for the SDGs, the study of key institutions involved in the SDG framework, and the development of debate and argumentative skills.
In the future, we are determined to continue to offer this module and we are eager to share our expertise with any other institution or instructor who might be interested. Additionally, we hope to launch co-curricular initiatives that can reach students, staff, and the community at large.