Sustainability award for university and its union

The University of Derby and its Union of Students have won an award for embedding sustainability and social responsibility into its curriculum.

They have been awarded the Responsible Futures accreditation, which is delivered by SOS-UK.

Since its launch by the National Union of Students in 2014, 35 institutions have worked with their students’ unions across the UK to take part in Responsible Futures, demonstrating their commitment to creating an environment where education for sustainable development can thrive.

SOS-UK and the NUS aim to see students leave formal education with the knowledge, skills, attributes, and values required to critically challenge the world around them, and a desire and willingness to tackle social, economic, and environmental issues and inequalities.

Nina Cupric, vice-president of education at the Union of Students, said: “It’s amazing to receive recognition for so many years of work put in by the union and the university.

“This symbolises our joint commitment towards sustainability and embedding it into everything we do. Thank you to everyone who has been involved.”

Chris Ribchester, associate professor for learning and teaching, and the university’s pedagogic lead for education for sustainable development, said: “This is a great achievement, which reflects the work of colleagues from across the university.

“The audit report highlights lots of examples of good practice, but also provides plenty of important suggestions for future actions, which we need to address.”