Sustainability Education Workshop

The Cairns Institute's Adjunct Associate Professor Hilary Whitehouse attended the University of Adelaide Sustainability Education Workshop 2025, held Monday 26 May, at Union House. It was hosted by the School of Social Science, Faculty of Arts, Business, Law & Economics and organised by Dr Thomas Wanner who is the Director of the university’s Educational for Sustainability Research Group.

The event was attended by over 50 academics and researchers from 4 South Australian HEIs – the University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, Flinders University, and some teachers from TAFE South Australia. Many disciplines were represented. HIlary is seated in between with educators, Julian from Millicent Farm and Tom Linnell from the Mount Gambier campus of the University of South Australia. Both had had flown up for the day.

After the workshop, Tom emailed Hilary the following: “I’m just sending a connecting email to say a quick thank you for your generous time and thoughtful conversation last week in Adelaide. The room was charged with energy of individuals, teams and faculties eager to see much of what you (and Thomas) have been working towards in education come to fruition. Fingers crossed we can position both universities in a positive place as they merge, however I’m specifically eager to the new university lead the way in an education program which provides a considered and nuanced focus on the theme of sustainability. I’ve put a proposal in for an additional elective however told to wait until the dust settles before actioning this further.”

The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia are merging, and sustainability education is supposed to be a key feature of the new Adelaide University.

JUNE 2025