2005 – Co znamená udržitelnost pro univerzity

Konference je příspěvkem k zahájení Dekády vzdělávání pro udržitelný rozvoj na půdě vysokých škol. Má připomenout možnosti univerzit při uplatnění tématu udržitelnosti ve výuce, výzkumu a při spolupráci s praxí. Je příležitostí k reflexi existujících zkušeností, představení budoucích strategií a diskusi případných bariér ovlivňujících jejich úspěšnou realizaci. Konference by měla být současně dialogem o podobě komunikace a spolupráce v trans- a interdisciplinární oblasti.

Níže naleznete program mezinárodní konference "Co znamená udržitelnost pro univerzity", jež se konala 5.–6.9.2005 v areálu Univerzity Karlovy v Praze v Jinonicích.

The Institute for Social Ecology (part of the University of Klagenfurt) deals with present and past interactions of societies with their environments, regarding both societies and nature as complex systems which follow (partly) different rules. In this field of research it has gained national and international reputation for theoretical and methodological achievements. For more than ten years, it has also gained a lot of experience in interdisciplinary teaching.

An attractive starting point for reflections on natural sciences education is ancient Greek natural philosophy, the mother of natural sciences one could say. The objective of natural philosophers was to understand the physical environment and the changes taking place in that environment. Another important philosophical question was ‘What is a good life in a moral sense?’ Two rationalities were discriminated:  instrumental rationality – the best means to realise an objective – and substantial rationality – authentic values and principles that one chooses for in freedom. The methodology used for knowledge generation by ancient Greek natural philosophers was observation, construction of mental models and discussion. Knowledge dissemination was in the hands of private teachers teaching in informal environments like for instance a sport school (gymnasium). Scol? meant creating free space to think and discuss with others.