Climate-U Network Conference
Higher Education and the Climate Crisis
24 - 27 September, 2024
In partnership with Kenyatta University. Climate-U Network Lead Institution, 2024
Climate-U Network Conference
Higher Education and the Climate Crisis
24 - 27 September, 2024
Venue: Kenyatta University Conference Centre,
Nairobi, Kenya / online
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Overview
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The Climate-U network brings together universities from around the world committed to working together to address the climate crisis. The network was born out of the Climate-U project (Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate) which ran from February 2020 - January 2024, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund.
The aim of the network is to strengthen climate action and sustainability efforts within each institution and collaboratively given that the sustainability challenges traverse sectors and regions. Universities are central to the transformation of societies, through their unique role in professional development, knowledge production and public debate. While there has been increasing attention to the active role universities can play in recent years, and many institutions have made commitments to achieving carbon neutrality and just transitions, there is still a significant knowledge gap.
Building on the Higher Education and the Climate Crisis event held in London in October 2023, this conference provides a space for debate, exchange of ideas and sharing of new research on diverse aspects of the higher education-climate crisis-sustainability axis. It offers a platform for a range of activities that will include interactive seminars, workshops, research papers and poster presentations featuring interdisciplinary perspectives from prominent speakers and decision-makers in climate education.
The mode of the conference will be blended with both in-person events to be held at the Kenyatta University Conference Centre, Nairobi, and virtual participation.
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The conference will take place between 24th and 27th September 2024 and will be organised as follows:
Programme
24th September
Student-led activities
26th September
Research papers, symposia and poster presentations
25th September
Workshops
27th September
Policy dialogue (morning)
and excursions (afternoon)
Keynote speakers:
Nicola Walshe (University College London, UK)
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Professor Nicola Walshe is Pro-Director Education at UCL’s Institute of Education and Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, the overarching aim of which is to undertake high-quality research which supports teachers to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and agency they need to thrive in a climate-altered future. Nicola’s research is predominantly in the field of teacher education practices in climate change and environmental and sustainability education. She leads a range of UKRI-funded projects, including Eco-Capabilities and Branching Out which explore the process by which creative practice in nature supports children’s connection with the environment and, thereby, their wellbeing. Nicola is co-convenor of the Environmental Sustainability Education Research network of European Educational Research Association, a member of the UCL Climate Crisis Executive Group and UCL Climate Hub Community Expert.
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Keynote panel speakers include:
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Jacob Kibwage (AWEMAC, Kenya)
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Khalaf Al’Abri (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman)
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Christopher Shishanya (Kenyatta University, Kenya)
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Sylmara Dias (University of São Paulo, Brazil)
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Lochner Marais (University of the Free State, South Africa)
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Rupert Corbishley (Aga Khan Foundation, Kenya)
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Transdisciplinary approaches to addressing the Climate Crisis in Higher Education
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Sustainable Campus Initiatives and Best Practices
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Climate Justice, Intersectionality, Equity and Higher Education
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Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives on the Climate Crisis
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Student Activism and Engagement for Climate Action
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Climate Communication, Policy, and Public Engagement Strategies
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The Role of Higher Education Institutions in Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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Sustainable Development and Community Partnerships
We would like to thank all applicants for their proposals and abstracts.
The call for submissions has now closed.
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Please join us by registering to attend the conference in-person or virtually.
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Conference sub-themes
General enquiries
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General enquiries can be directed to:
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Jackline Nyerere (nyerere.jackline@ku.ac.ke),
Purity Muthoni (njeri.purity@ku.ac.ke) or
Tristan McCowan (t.mccowan@ucl.ac.uk)
