There are many courses on sustainability in many universities across the world, but there is still a void that needs to be filled, and to which Jesuit universities can make an important contribution.
Drawing inspiration from the integral ecology proposed by Pope Francis in Laudato si’, the Universal Apostolic Preference on caring for our common home, and Healing Earth — the Jesuit integral, global, and living online textbook in environmental science — the Higher Education for Social Transformation Cluster on Ecology and Environmental Challenges of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials with Comillas Universidad Pontificia and the International Association of Jesuit Universities are preparing a massive open online course (MOOC) on Sustainability and Ignatian Values.
The proposed course seeks to address the social elements and ethical underpinnings of sustainability that are often lacking in sustainability courses that focus only on the environmental component. Furthermore, it will touch on deeper meaning questions that relate to one’s personal and spiritual relationship to the natural world, another dimension that is rarely addressed in conventional environmental studies. It is envisioned that, through the course, students and also a broader audience will be able to understand the global challenges that humanity faces, how to interpret them from an integral ecology approach, and how to address them from an ethically-sound point of view.
To make this a truly global Ignatian project, the organisers are inviting faculty from all Jesuit higher education institutions able to bring their expertise and diversity to this course to a webinar on 17 December that will describe the envisaged course contents, materials, and approach required from each potential contributor. There will also be a demonstration of the use of the online platform where the course will be hosted.
Faculty of higher education institutions within the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific are highly enjoined to participate in this webinar. Registration can be made through this link.
