Already with its sustainability mission statement adopted in 2016, Freie Universität committed itself to the "broad integration of sustainability content into the university curriculum" and to realizing the concept of "education for sustainable development" (ESD). This commitment was reaffirmed with the climate emergency declaration signed in December 2019.

Since the 2016 summer semester, the Sustainability & Energy Management Unit has been evaluating all courses with regard to their sustainability relevance. The survey is based on all course titles and descriptions from the course catalogue, combined with criteria for a sustainability relation and focus.

The evaluation of the winter semester 2021/22 shows that 725 or 16.1 percent of all 4,507 courses surveyed are related to sustainability, of which 4.5 percent (203) are sustainability-focused. Compared to the previous year, this is a decline of 4.8 percent; overall, however, an increase of 3.7 percent since 2016. The decline compared to the previous year is due to revised, somewhat stricter evaluation criteria.

Courses that deal with aspects of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs / Agenda 2030) in at least one course unit have a sustainability relevance. Courses that convey a comprehensive understanding of sustainability, sustainable development or comparable concepts have a sustainability focus.

As in previous years, the Department of Political and Social Sciences offers by far the most sustainability-related courses with a share of 24 percent, followed by the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy (12 percent). As in previous evaluations, SDG 16 (peace, justice, strong institutions) was addressed most frequently; followed for the first time by SDG 10 (combating inequality) and SDG 15 (life on land). What is new about this year's evaluation is that up to 3 SDGs were assigned per course in order to more adequately depict cross-goal, interdisciplinary teaching content.

The Sustainability & Energy Management Unit works in cooperation with various stakeholders to increase the proportion of teaching and learning at Freie Universität with a focus on sustainability.

Related Links:

• Learning Sustainability in the General Professional Skills Courses (ABV, for more information please contact Nora Große)

• Declaration of Climate Emergency of FU Berlin

• UNA EUROPA ((or more information please contact Janina Taigel)