EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD) IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE EXPERIENCE OF GULF UNIVERSITIES

Education is an essential tool for achieving sustainability. People around the world recognize that current economic development trends are not sustainable and that public awareness, education, and training are key to moving society toward sustainability. Beyond that, there is little agreement. People argue about the meaning of sustainable development and whether or not it is attainable. They have different visions of what sustainable societies will look like and how they will function. These same people wonder why educators have not moved more quickly to develop education for sustainability programs. The lack of agreement and definition has hindered efforts to move education for sustainable development forward. There is no universal model of Education for Sustainable Development. While there is a general consensus on the principles of sustainability and their supporting concepts, differences according to local contexts and priorities will persist. Therefore, content, context and relevance become important aspects of quality. The present article aims at investigating the attempts of the Gulf Universities in contributing to ESD and establishment of educational programs at the tertiary level.