Creating a sustainable planet through education requires us to come together and embrace a vision centered on protecting the five fundamental elements of our planet: soil, water, air, fire/energy, and space. there is. This common vision and scrutiny of structural reforms will lead to a growing awareness of the interconnectedness between all disciplines at the grassroots level and the achievement of a common goal of a regenerative world where education thrives in harmony with the well-being of the planet. We will create initiatives for -There is.
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In today's modern world, the educational landscape is fragmented and often confined within rigid academic boundaries where the interconnectedness between different subjects and degree programs is overlooked. A lack of holistic wisdom and a linear approach to problem-solving has led to widespread problems such as plastic waste, depleted soil, polluted air, polluted water, and biodiversity loss. Addressing these challenges requires championing a comprehensive and interconnected approach to education, from early childhood education to the university level.
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The ancient seers of India foresaw an important connection between our inner world and the outer world. They emphasized that authentic education entails the harmonious development of body, mind and soul. For example, nurturing the body seamlessly affects the mind and soul, and vice versa. This integrated philosophy prioritized a focus on the inner nature of humans and deeply shaped humans' interactions with the outside world.
However, our current educational paradigm often prioritizes professional degrees without considering their impact on ecosystems and their contribution to planetary degradation and biodiversity loss. We cannot turn back time, but we can create a framework that fosters an organic evolution towards a circular economy and environmental recovery.
This article aims to outline a sustainable education framework that rejuvenates the planet while promoting an inclusive and prosperous global economy that benefits all life forms. The emphasis here is not on a comprehensive education of body, mind and soul, but in particular on an educational system that shapes the livelihood of humanity without damaging the structure of the earth, which will lead to a more noble and harmonious long-term This is an important first step towards a peaceful world.
science and technology education
Schools should teach about the five fundamental elements: soil, water, air, rivers/energy, and space, and emphasize their role in the composition, nutrition, and vitality of the Earth's biodiversity. Addressing these factors automatically promotes a circular economy and enables an honest bottom-up approach.
Universities should place science and technology degrees under the umbrella of these elements and emphasize minimizing harm while enriching these elements. Academics need to scrutinize interdisciplinary impacts and adjust their degrees to minimize negative impacts. For example, a mining degree offered under the elemental umbrella “soil” should be centered on growing diamonds in the laboratory rather than mining, and an energy program under that umbrella should focus on renewable technology. should focus on.
Similarly, materials science programs must scrutinize materials that degrade elements and find alternative uses. For example, materials scientists are converting human waste into permeable materials for roads and highways, while simultaneously replenishing depleted groundwater levels and building homes with biodegradable materials to minimize energy demands. can. The possibilities for tweaking every area under the umbrella of each element are endless.
This structured approach fosters collaboration between academic departments. For example, the “atmosphere'' and “soil'' sectors can work together to reduce natural disasters while enriching both elements. Industry-academia partnerships, driven by a unified vision to conserve the earth's fundamental elements, form the basis of a circular economy. Economic planning around these fundamentals, measured and managed by a single environmental health indicator, could bring significant progress and glorify existing indicators such as gross domestic product (GDP).
Vocational and technical education
Colleges should adopt this thematic approach. From grade 10 onwards, students should receive practical specialized education with an emphasis on preservation of elements. Certificates such as wastewater treatment and water conservation should fall under the category of “water.” Skills-based programs should incorporate both indigenous and modern concepts, depending on the region.
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Health, Social Sciences, Others
Degrees that do not match the elemental categories should still be influenced by this ideology. All fundamental factors fundamentally influence human well-being and revolutionize the public health perspective. For example, soil quality can affect health, and mining the moon can affect one or more of the positive effects on life on Earth.
The proposed framework allows all disciplines to see the interconnectedness between elements. The social sciences will also benefit from this evolved approach to education, influencing our understanding of world events, such as the relationships between climate change, conflict and migration patterns. Awareness about the unbridled growth of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies and their high energy usage may also arise.
sustainable structural reform
Rising costs, lengths of time for some degrees, ballooning student debt, unnecessary capital expenditures, and a focus on degrees over skills are creating a need for change. Streamlining U.S. degree programs such as the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) to their original bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, or allowing students to enroll in medical school after high school, as in most other countries, would help U.S. students. This could potentially reduce the debt burden of Rethinking capital investments and making use of shared infrastructure such as stadiums could make education more affordable. Public perception of your degree and skills can also affect your debt.
Fortunately, some companies are disrupting the educational model, such as Google in the US, which offers specialized certificates that are more popular and shorter in duration than degrees. India-based Zoho Corporation has established its own Zoho University, which recruits talented students from poor backgrounds and provides them with free skill-based education with scholarships that cover basic living expenses.
In both examples, employees of the company teach the students. Such a disruptive model offers quality education at an affordable price. However, these models need to be extended beyond the realm of information technology. A systematic review of unnecessary spending in education has the potential to significantly reduce costs for students. Finally, social scientists need to shed light on the connections between high student loans, delayed marriage, buying a home, and even having children: obstacles to sustainability and rejuvenation in the world. .
