Transformation of Ecological Mindset in Universities and Sustainable Universities

Abstract

Universities have a critical role in instilling sustainability awareness in society and equipping future generations with environmental awareness. Green universities are institutions that have integrated sustainability principles into their institutional structures, campus operations, and education-research activities. In this context, universities, which function as micro cities in terms of their campuses, are expected to focus on various disciplines and offer environmental experiences to their students to develop skills in finding solutions to environmental problems. It is seen that universities have started to take concrete steps such as reducing their environmental footprint and contributing to the development of green jobs through sustainability centers. In this study, how environmental awareness can be increased in universities for a sustainable future, the role of sustainability centers in this direction, as well as the ecological mindset transformation that universities should demonstrate in the context of the development and the training of green jobs in line with the needs of the new era are discussed.

Keywords

• Sustainability
• Green Universities
• Green Jobs
• Sustainability Centers

Üniversitelerde Ekolojik Zihniyet Dönüşümü ve Sürdürülebilir Üniversiteler

Öz

Üniversitelerin topluma sürdürülebilirlik bilinci aşılamak ve gelecek nesilleri çevresel farkındalıkla donatmak gibi kritik bir rolü bulunmaktadır. Yeşil üniversiteler, sürdürülebilirlik ilkelerini kurumsal yapılarına, yerleşke operasyonlarına ve eğitim-araştırma faaliyetlerine entegre etmiş kurumlardır. Bu bağlamda, yerleşkeleri açısından birer mikro şehir olarak işlev gören üniversitelerin çevresel sorunlara karşı çözüm bulma becerileri geliştirmek için çeşitli disiplinlere odaklanmaları ve öğrencilerine çevresel deneyimler sunmaları beklenmektedir. Sürdürülebilirlik merkezleri aracılığıyla üniversitelerin çevresel ayak izlerini azaltma ve yeşil mesleklerin gelişimine katkı sağlama gibi somut adımlar atmaya başladıkları görülmektedir. Bu çalışmada sürdürülebilir bir gelecek için üniversitelerde çevresel farkındalığın nasıl artırılabileceği, sürdürülebilirlik merkezlerinin bu çerçevedeki rolü, ayrıca yeni dönemin gereksinimlerine uygun yeşil mesleklerin gelişimi ve bu mesleklerin eğitimi konuları bağlamında üniversitelerin ekolojik olarak göstermeleri gereken zihniyet dönüşümü ele alınmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Yeşil Üniversite
• Yeşil Meslekler
• Sürdürülebilirlik Merkezleri

Kaynakça

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