Teaching & Learning

University of Galway is committed to meaningful education around the SDGs across the university, relevant and applicable to all students. We recognise the importance of increasing sustainability knowledge among all campus users, including students, staff and community partners. We are working towards an internationally-acclaimed sustainability curriculum that is relevant to the needs of society and responsive to change.

The University of Galway Strategic Plan 2020-2025, Shared Vision, Shaped by Values contains a firm commitment to embed sustainability across our learning, research and the student experience so that our entire campus community can gain the necessary knowledge and skills to become sustainability role models and leaders. The University of Galway Sustainability Strategy commits to the integration of sustainability across all educational programmes in the University. 

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Photo by Prof Chaosheng Zhang

Your Quick Guide to SDGs in our Prospectus

If you have a passion for sustainability, then grow it in Galway. University of Galway offers a wide range of courses – at undergraduate and postgraduate levels – with a specific focus on sustainable development.

  Click here to find a Quick Guide to the SDGs in our Prospectus

University of Galway embedding sustainability across the curriculum

The University has set a target that sustainability will be embedded in all programmes. As programmes are built from their constituent modules, to gain a snapshot of progress to date, we first assessed the extent to which sustainability is covered in modules. A keyword scanning method was used to identify whether a module potentially covered sustainability (the method and its limitations are detailed below).

A sample of approximately one-third of University modules with learning outcomes was extracted from Akari, the curriculum management system. Following the keyword scan, three members of the sustainability team reviewed the flagged modules and agreed a final list of ‘sustainability modules’. We classified 226 of the modules as ‘sustainability modules’. Further data collection and analysis is currently underway to provide a performance indicator for the full set of modules and degree programmes offered by the University. This will be complemented by new visualisation tools for sustainability in the curriculum.

Introduction to Sustainability Module

In Academic Year 2020/2021 University of Galway introduced a new module entitled 'Introduction to Sustainability' to provide students with a broad overview of key topics relating to environmental, social and economic sustainability. The module is a collaboration across disciplines, schools and colleges and explores the interconnectedness of the SDGs in addressing global challenges. The Introduction to Sustainability module is now available across all 4 colleges with inperson and online option for uptake, the plan is that the module will eventually become an Institution wide module.

Dedicated programmes on sustainability and the SDGs

Sustainability literacy (Sulitest)

Education for the SDGs in the wider community