Date/Time: 29 June 2023, 16:00-17:30 (AEST)
As part of the ProSPER.Net research project ‘Circular Economy Integration for Sustainable Built Environment Education‘, the third webinar aims to share experiences in circular economy education across five universities, and discuss the drivers and barriers of circular economy (CE) education to provide high-quality skilled labour to meet industry demands for CE transition.
The integration of circular economy into higher education programs is a crucial step to support a smooth circular economy transition. Literature and practice indicate that circular economy awareness is still limited, with the understanding of circular economy being equated with waste management and reduction, focusing on three R strategies “reduce, reuse, and recycle”. To support the uptake of circular economy practices, circular economy education was introduced and taught in five universities as an independent course or integrated into relevant courses such as sustainability and climate resilience programs. The curriculum covered different aspects of circular economy concepts, including definitions, principles, strategies, and circular business models to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of this subject. The research project highlights how circular economy education can facilitate the shift from linear thinking to circular thinking and developing a circular mindset, enabling students to proactively apply circular economy principles and strategies in professional and personal activities.
The webinar will commence with the introduction to the research project and the role of education in the CE transition. A presentation on CE education to students who are from diverse backgrounds will be presented by each university underlining CE concepts, teaching pedagogies, student engagement, and learning outcomes. The session will end with Q&A discussions between the research team and webinar participants. The webinar will conclude with the launch of the Teaching and Learning Guidebook for Circular Economy in the Built Environment.
This webinar will be the final webinar of this research project. Research data, results and findings will be shared in the presentations from five universities, including RMIT, University of Peradeniya, TERI SAS, AIT and AKSU.
Learn more and register for the webinar here.