Sustainability research, teaching and practice: towards transdisciplinary knowledge co-production in universities

Universities have a role to play in sustainability transitions, partly through producing, exchanging and implementing knowledge. Knowledge is generated and exchanged through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) – teaching and learning that supports graduates in gaining knowledge, skills and specific and generic sustainability competencies – but also by undertaking sustainability research, by reflecting on operational aspects and by engaging with local communities and other stakeholders in practice. Research, teaching and practice overlap and influence each other as interlinking arenas of academic activity. Sustainability research covers topics of relevance to understanding sustainability challenges and their solutions using sustainability research attributes, such as transdisciplinary and co-production approaches. ESD can be enhanced through sustainability research led teaching, but ESD can also support teaching-led research. Teaching undergraduate and postgraduate learners the principles and practices of sustainability research is challenging but necessary to prepare future generations of academics. The sustainability of research is also a growing consideration, along with an impact. The connections between sustainability research, sustainability research-led teaching and teaching-led sustainability comprise a relatively unexplored, rich area of possibility in the field of ESD and in support of whole institution change for sustainability.