Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) International

Online Conference  22-24 June 2021

Rethinking Education for Sustainability in an Era of Uncertainty: Opportunities and Challenges

Welcome to EEASA’s second online conference on 22-24 June 2021

Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE) is hosting the Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) 39th International conference on the 22 -24 June 2021. 

 EEASA’s 2021 Conference is themed “ Rethinking Education for Sustainability in an Era of Uncertainty: Opportunities and Challenges”.

Important dates: Keynote Speakers
Preconference Workshop – 21 June 2021 Professor Charles HOPKINS, UNESCO Chair, York University, Canada
Advisor to the United Nations University´s Global Network of
Regional Centres of Expertise on ESD
Co-Director of the Asia-Pacific Institute on Education for
Sustainable Development in Beijing, China
Opening of conference – 21 June 2021 Professor Lesley LE GRANGE , Distinguished Professor of Education, Stellensbosch
University, South Africa
Closing of conference – 24 June 2021 (The third Keypnote Speaker to be confirmed)

The world is facing unprecedented environmental changes which are impacting living organisms including human beings. Climate change, food insecurity, improper waste management and poverty are some of the major global environmental issues and are key components of the sustainable development goals (SDGS). The current COVID-19 pandemic is spreading among global populations and is significantly contributing to the current uncertainties already created. This disease has decimated people and severely affected the various sectors including tourist, industrial and education of most countries leading to various societal problems. COVID19 pandemic has revealed to the whole world the importance for governments, research institutions and more importantly the role of science and technology to collaborate in the struggle against the pandemic and any other disaster. Thus this pandemic is a wakeup call for educational institutions to move forward the SDGs and to rethink education for sustainability. This conference seeks to elicit engaged dialogue and deliberation on the above environmental issues.

Subthemes of EEASA 2021

The sub-themes guiding conference engagement include:

  1. Rethinking Education for Sustainability towards SDGs: Formal education settings and systems: Higher Education, Secondary and Primary Education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and Early Childhood Education

    2. Revisits educational landscapes and explores how education for sustainability equips learners at different education levels with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes or motivation to shape and create a future that is life-sustaining.

  2. Sustainability in Formal and informal Education: Complement or Compete

    3. Explores the opportunities and challenges of collaboration between the formal and informal educational sectors with a view to continue education for sustainability during and post pandemic.

  3. Social Justice and Education for Sustainability

    4. Reviews how social justice and education for sustainability are catered for and can work in a synergistic way during the pandemic; and explores ways to ensure that learning continues under challenging circumstances.

  4. Green Skills and Sustainability

    5. Discusses how education for sustainability supports TVET and other education sectors in addressing the demand for green skills and also for greening the economy. Also explores how policies, funding and other support mechanims promote green skills.

  5. Transformative learning and other pedagogical innovations

    6. Discusses how transformative learning and innovative pedagogical approaches help to advance change towards sustainability

  6. Education for Sustainability during and in the post COVID-19 era: role of Science and Technology

    7. Focuses on the role of Science and Technology in the world during and beyond the pandemic and the contribution of education for sustainability.

  7. Research methodologies for Education for Sustainability

    8. Reflects on research methodologies adopted to study different phenomena contributing to the advancement of education for sustainability.

  8. COVID 19 as a driver for education to respond to the SDGs

    9. Explores how COVID19 acts as a catalyst for transforming education to promote SDGs for a better and sustainable future.

This EEASA conference will also provide a unique platform for environmental educationist, teacher educators, academia, researchers, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders to share, critically reflect and build upon their experiences of environmental education processes related to sustainable development over the last ten years and make recommendations for the future.

2. Guidelines for Abstract Preparation and Submission(Deadline of Abstract submission: 02 May 2021 11.55 pm (MUT))

Due to the Covid 19 Pandemic EEASA’s Annual Conference for 2021 will be an online conference. The online Conference is free and to attend this event, click here to register.

All presenters will also have to register for the above online conference and must join the EEASA as a member . Due to the pandemic the membership fees for this year have been reduced.

Once you have paid EEASA membership fees, please email and inform the same to the conference secretariat on eeasa2021secretariat@mie.ac.mu