40 YEARS ACTION OF COMMITTING UNIVERSITIES TO COMMON ACTION FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. 40 YEARS ACTION OF COMMITTING UNIVERSITIESTO COMMON ACTION FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Jan W. Dobrowolski  Chair of Environmental Biotechnology and Ecology Wydz. GGiIS, AGH University of Science and Technology  AGH Open University,  30-059 KRAKOW, Mickiewicza 30, Paw.D-11 POLAND  E-mail: dobrowol@uci.agh.edu.pl key words : education for sustainable development, interdisciplinary studies,problem-solving training,common action INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GRAZ 2005

2. Professor W. GOETEL- concept of science called SOZOLOGand SOZOTECHNIC as INTERDISCIPLINARYKNOWLEDGE (integrating natural, technical, social, economical disciplines)and ABILITY for SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES • IUCN GA in Edinburgh has adopted Goetel' s recommendationof changing the name into the INTERNATIONAL UNION for CONSERVATION of NATURE and NATURAL RESOURCES – 1956 • OPEN SEMINAR on PROTECTION of NATURE andSUSTAINABLEMANAGEMENT of NATURAL RESOURCESwas initiatedat AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, POLANDin the early 1960s (as open for all i.e. scientists, expertsfrom industry and decission-makers, followed by discussion aboutcrucial problems and methods of solving them in cooperation withlocal inhabitants). The Seminar was followed by special Proceedings).

3. The Polish Ecological Club ( NGO ) started in 1980 with the (announcement by mass media) open seminars and discussion about environmental risk factors connected with outdated technologies in Cracow region. The Seminar was followed by practical recommendations and COMMON ACTION FOR IMPROVEMENT ENVIRONMENTALQUALITY by the reduction of the emission of pollutants at the sources.

4. The AGH OPEN UNIVERSITY focused on the contribution to the formationof KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY and promotion of the Common Action forSustainable Development was established in 1989. It has been 15 years and the Open University is still active. It co-operates with different age and professionalgroups. The basic series of lectures are given by experts (scholars and practitioners) in natural, technical,social, economical subjects and culture, including rectors of some Universities, members of the Academy of Sciences,ministers, mayors and other decission-makers. There are followed by discussion in co-operation with mass media.

5. The starting lecture at the Technical Open University interdisciplinarydiscussion about Bruntlad’s Team Report “Our Common Future”. Other lectures were referring to theprogress inscience and technology and their application for better qualityof the Human Environment and Life, including new achievementsin computer science, physics (e.g.in 2005 at the World Year of Physics) and practical recommendations related to environmentalhealth and protection of health of consumers in particular.

6. The new concept of supplementing the traditional task-oriented training at universities with theproblem-solving training (based oninterdisciplinary case studies) and education of local society • The co-operation of scientists, practitioners anddecission-makers has been introduced by the author of the report at 1st National Summer School on the Human Environment in 1968 and 1 International Summer School on SustainableDevelopmentin 1972 in Poland. • The top priority has been given to INTEGRATION of professionaltraining with system approach to solving problems of SustainableDevelopment in cooperation with local inhabitants and linkage withintegrated co-operation in this field. • The crucial problems are related to interdisciplinary study followed • by common action focused on PRIMARY PREVENTION ofENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS for: • Human Health , • Nature Heritage, • Cultural Heritagein regions of National Parks (including the oldest in Europeborder park in the Pieniny Mts ), • historical centers and industrial areas. • In voluntary case study and problem-based training took part from 1968 to 2004 over 3000 university students and many scholars.

7. 10 International Conferences on European Integration for Sustainable Developmentwere organised by my team in Poland from 1989 to 2002. They were focused on broad exchange of methodological experience on interdisciplinary co-operation referring to solving similar problems. Study visits and training periods for groups of students were also organized. The linkage to UN Earth Summit Environment andDevelopment and panEuropean action for education promoting sustainable development was emphasized.

8. Five years diploma coursecalledSystems of Environmental Protection (later on the name was changed into Environmental Engineering) was established at the AGH in 1989 PostgraduateCourse on Environmental Management for Primary Prevention was also opened at 1989, Doctoral studies in environmental engineering were established at our University in 1987. In co-operation with Del Bianco Foundation the International and Interdisciplinary Workshops for university studentsrelated to different problems of Sustainable Development of HistoricalCities in Florence were organised in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

9. Multidisciplinary Council of the Goetel' s School of EnvironmentalManagement and Engineering organised the Polish Conference on Education in Environmental Engineeringand Conservation for SustainableDevelopment. in Krakow in 2004 For a few months it has been an interdisciplinary co-operation with the European Project on Education for Promotion Sound-tourism andSustainable Development in regions of high nature and culture value onexample of anthropogenic mountain areas in Cinque Terre National Park. In Gdansk, Poland in May 2004 the International Meetingof Decision-Makers from European Union and Scholars from EUMembers Countries on Environmental Policy, Education and the Promotion Sustainable Development took place.

10. RECOMMENDATIONS I.Creation of the European Newtork of University Teams involved in the recommended by UN and UNESCO programme: Education for Sustainable Development. II. Promotion of interdisciplinary and international projectsfocused on system approach to primary preventionof environmental risk factors and dissemination ofinnovative environmentally-friendly technologies (ecotechnologies in particular) as contribution to the sustainable development of similar regions and trainingfor the promotion of know-how outside Europe. III. Contribution to Technological Platforms in EUMC.

11. I wish to thank dr A. Wagner and Mrs. B. Patuła for technical assistence in preparing this presentation.