Galway Symposium 2025

Preparing Students for a Challenging World: education for sustainable development and the socio-emotional domain

Location: University of Galway, Áras Moyola 

Date: 12 June 2025  

Time: 10:00-16.30 registration opens at 09.15

Facilitated by: The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) 

We come to Higher Education (HE) with our own unique ways of being, doing, learning and teaching that are usually shaped by our own backgrounds, experiences, and research disciplines. Although the interconnected global challenges facing students highlight the need for us to teach to the socio-emotional learning domain, we are often not equipped to embed the affective dimensions of learning into our teaching practices.  
 
In bringing together experts in the fields of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), student well-being, and sustainability, this conference opens a space for learning and discussion on the socio-emotional domain and the competencies necessary for an inclusive and empowered future for both students and staff in Higher Education.  

We will begin the day with two keynote speakers: Dr. Paul Vare, University of Gloucestershire, Chair of National Association for Environmental Education, UK and Professor Bridgette Bewick, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, UK. The keynote addresses will be followed by workshops facilitated by University of Galway staff and visiting academics on the themes of futures thinking and affect, competence development, and pedagogies of care.