Fourth Forum for
Sustainability Science Programs
Core Competencies for Sustainability
18 February 2010
AAAS 2010 Annual Meeting
San Diego, California

Sponsors/Organizers
Sarah Banas Mills, AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Sustainability
Arnim Wiek, Arizona State University, School of Sustainability

The Forum on Sustainability Science Programs is an open roundtable discussion held each February that aims to stimulate exchange between academic and research programs in Science and Technology for Sustainable Development or "Sustainability Science."  Since the inaugural Forum at the 2007 AAAS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the key university actors in Sustainability Science have attended the Forum to dialogue on collaborative approaches to building this emerging field.  Though participants hail from diverse perspectives and institutions most are experiencing similar challenges as they develop inter- and transdisciplinary programs, which combine both basic and applied research methods.

The focus of the 2010 Forum is on "Core Competencies in Sustainability".  The program also includes a networking reception and poster session for sustainability science research.  

The goal for the 2010 Forum is to emerge with a vetted set of core competencies in sustainability for each academic level (Undergraduate, Masters, and PhD).  Previous discussion on course content and curriculum development at the 2009 Forum in Chicago revealed that an important prerequisite to such development is having a clear understanding of the core competencies in sustainability expected of program graduates.

Please check this page regularly for updated event information.

The Survey
In preparation of the 2010 Forum, we are currently conducting a literature review and a series of surveys. The survey linked to this e-mail represents a large-scale attempt to compare core competencies in sustainability across programs and scientific communities.  We will solicit input now through August 31st and compile a list of core competencies in sustainability which will be available for review via email this fall.  Based on this review and additional sources (literature review and other surveys), a consolidated draft list will serve as the starting point for our Forum's discussions at the Annual Meeting in February 2010.       

We currently welcome any submissions regarding core competencies / learning outcomes in sustainability (i.e., what students must know in order to graduate).  We are particularly interested in the perspectives from sustainability science programs which focus on the way in which science and innovation can be conducted and applied to meet human needs while preserving the life support systems of the planet.  Any programs which study nature-society interactions and apply their resulting knowledge to create sustainability transitions are encouraged to participate.

Submissions are being accepted via an online survey: http://sustainabilityscience.questionpro.com.  Please note that the survey is expected to take 20-30 minutes to complete and cannot be saved; please be sure to give yourself enough time to complete it.  If you'd like a preview of the questions before you begin, a downloadable text version is available at:  http://sustainabilityscience.org/files/QUESTIONAIRE_vfinal.doc