Symposium on Qualifications, Training, Micro-Credentials and Sustainable Development

The concept of micro-credentials in the context of sustainable development addresses the needs seen in today’s rapidly evolving job market and educational landscape, where micro-credentials may contribute to sustainable development.  Overall, micro-credentials support lifelong learning by allowing individuals to gain specific skills or knowledge in a short amount of time, often tailored to evolving industry demands. This flexibility and accessibility enhance employability, particularly important in economies facing rapid technological change and the need for green skills. This opens up a wide range of education and training opportunties to a wider audience, including underserved communities, thereby promoting social inclusion and equitable access to opportunities for personal and professional development. Finally, many micro-credentials are developed in collaboration with industry, ensuring that the skills taught are directly applicable and valued in the job market. This is particularly relevant for sustainable development, as industries seek to innovate and reduce their environmental impact, requiring new skills and knowledge bases.

There is a perceived need to foster the use of micro-credentials in the context of sustainable development. It is against this background, that the “Symposium on Qualifications, Training, Micro-Credentials and Sustainable Development” is being organised. It is hosted by Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia, and will be held on 20th-21st February 2025.

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Aims

The Symposium on Qualifications, Training, Micro-Credentials and Sustainable Development aims to gathers experts, academics, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the role of micro-credentials in promoting sustainable development as a whole, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular.
It will:

• a) explore how micro-credentials can be tailored to educate and train individuals in skills directly related to sustainable development, such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy practices;
• b) discuss ways to make micro-credentials accessible to a broader audience, including marginalised and rural communities, to promote inclusive education and opportunities;
• c) foster partnerships between educational institutions, industries, and governments to ensure the micro-credentials are recognised and valued in the labor market and can effectively contribute to SDGs.

Some key topics

• Teaching approaches and methods: Using  teaching methods which take into account micro-credentials for sustainable development.
• Technology and Innovation: Utilising technology to deliver and enhance the use of micro-credentials in formal and non-formal education.
• Impact Measurement: Methods for measuring the effectiveness of micro-credentials in contributing to sustainable development.
• Actionable recommendations for policy-makers to support the integration of micro-credentials into national education and training frameworks.
• Innovation: innovative micro-credential programmes that may successfully contribute to sustainable development.
• The impact of micro-credentials on lifelong learning for sustainable development

Format of the symposium

• Plenary presentations and discussions: key speakers from academia, industry, and governmental sectors to provide a multi-perspective view on the challenges and solutions associated with  micro-credentials for sustainable development.
• Parallel sessions: presentations  on innovative micro-credential initiatives and programmes

This Symposium will provide a valuable platform for stakeholders to converge, exchange ideas, and pave the way for new micro-credential initiatives  that integrate education, technology, and sustainable development.

Profile of participants

The Symposium will be of special interest to researchers, educators and communication specialists working  in the field of sustainable education from the Baltic Sea Region and Europe, as well as the Americas, Asia and Pacific, Africa and the Middle East regions.

How to attend the symposium

There are two possibilities for attending the symposium:
1.  By only attending the symposium (without a paper presentation)
2.  By presenting a paper: Researchers may submit any complete, original, and unpublished research papers, either conceptual or empirical. The Turnitin similarity index must be below 20%.

To participate, participants need to submit an abstract of 200 to 300 words, along with the authors’ names and full contact details before 30th October 2024. Full papers are due by 30th March 2025. Abstracts should be submitted to Lais.VieraTrevisan (at) haw-hamburg (dot) de by using the following template: Download Template 

The details will be discussed with the selected authors.

Please note: For both possibilities for attending the Symposium, you need to register, and each author wishing to participate must complete the registration form

Important note on submission of abstracts

The earlier submission of abstracts is strongly encouraged. The deadline for submissions of abstracts should not be regarded as the date the abstracts are due. Rather, it is the last possible day. Therefore, authors who submit their abstracts at  a later stage should be mindful of the fact that presentation slots may be taken, and only poster presentations may be possible. Please submit your abstract as soon as you can, to avoid possible problems.

Continuing professional development
This event is part of the Continuing Professional Development Programme on Sustainable Development, undertaken by the European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR) and Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP). An official certificate of participation, useful for professional development purposes and to be shown to employers, will be issued to participants, with the equivalent of 20 hours, including attendance to the event and preparation time.

Fees

In other to offset the costs with staff time, organisation, and preparation, book production and follow-up, a registration fee of Euro 225,00 (plus taxes) will be charged per delegate.  The fees entail the coffee breaks and lunch breaks during the 2 days. For cancellations made up to 2 months before the event, a full refund -minus handling charges- will be possible. For registrations up to 30 days before the event, a 50% refund-minus bank charges- is possible. For cancellations within less than 30 days, no refunds are possible. The details about the payment will be sent to the participants

Publication opportunity

The experiences of the presenters will be documented and promoted in theInternational Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. Founded in the year 2000, IJSHE is the only journal which specifically focuses on sustainability issues in a higher education context. All papers are subject to peer-review and there is no guarantee that submitted papers may be published. Authors should present their papers at the event, get feed-back and then submit their papers by 30th March 2025.

About the organizers

The “Symposium on Micro-Credentials and Sustainable Development” is being organised by Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia, and the Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

The Symposium is also organised by the UK Consortium on Sustainability Research, the European School of Sustainability Science and Research, theInter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme.
and the The European-North American Sustainability Research Consortium. 

Contact

Professor Walter Leal
Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
Faculty of Life Sciences
European School of Sustainability Science and Research
Research and Transfer Centre “Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management”
Ulmenliet 20
21033 Hamburg, Germany
info(at)iccip(dot)net