UNESCO Earth Education UK Forum Gathering
By Maria Sierra-Sanchez
“The last UNESCO document TERRA Education III was released in 2018, and a new document is being crafted. This UNESCO Document showcases many of the education programmes, events, research and studies happening all over the world and helps understand the global picture of earth building emphasising sustainable techniques, cultural heritage, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In this context, we recently held the first meeting for UK academics—and one Canadian!—who are somehow involved in earth building, to foster a collaborative network across disciplines. The event, held at UCL Bartlett, was attended by representatives from 12 universities, stretching from Plymouth to Edinburgh, who shared what and how they teach and examine various subjects like architecture, engineering, and health in higher education.
The day was filled with inspiring presentations and lively discussions, focusing on future steps to strengthen and expand this network. The discussions were centred on Higher Education and understanding the holistic collaboration needed across all agents involved in the built environment. We’re excited about the collaborative potential and can’t wait to see how these connections will advance the field of higher education.
That evening, the Bartlett School of Architecture Society hosted a dissemination event featuring a range of industry speakers—many of whom had participated in the day’s discussions—sharing current projects and raising awareness of earth building among students.
It was inspiring to connect with all the speakers and collaborators and see that the students also responded by attending to the evening event. We’re excited for the future of earth building education in the UK and beyond!”
