Implementing a holistic approach to foster higher education for sustainability

The adoption of sustainable practices in the built environment requires the professionals working in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry to acquire new competencies, particularly in developing countries that have committed to a new agenda for a more sustainable future. The role of higher education is vital to promote sustainable development principles as fundamental drivers within the curricula of the relevant disciplines, in order to equip graduates with the necessary skills to implement sustainable practices and strategies of resource efficiency in their future career. The assessment of the findings from previous studies conducted at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa, highlighted the importance of incorporating principles of sustainability and energy efficiency into built environment-related curricula of higher education. Following a holistic approach, the greenUKZN (Green Regeneration, Environmental and Energy Upgrade at UKZN) research programme has been proposed as a possible strategy towards achieving this target. GreenUKZN is a multidisciplinary programme led by the School of Engineering of UKZN joining research, teaching and learning, energy management and sustainability upgrade initiatives of university's buildings and facilities, which utilizes the university campuses as an experimental field for the investigation and the implementation of sustainable practices and resource efficient strategies.