Teaching Strategies for Sustainability in Creative Disciplines

Higher education institutions play an important role in the quest for a sustainable future. The link to sustainability offers new perspectives for the understanding of wicked problems and socioenvironmental issues; however, few universities in the world have a strong emphasis on education for sustainability (EfS). Consequently, many institutions in Latin America are missing the many opportunities offered by teaching and researching on issues related to sustainable development (SD), and from which it becomes urgent to address before they follow in the footsteps of first-world economies and consumption systems. This article focuses on the current treatment and inclusion creative disciplines have made of the concept of sustainability in higher education, since these disciplines are design-led, allow students to engage and interact with problems and stakeholders, prototype everyday life artefacts of to affect behavioral transformation, and structure creative solutions to foster interconnectedness with life. This study analyzes and exposes the different strategies and pedagogical tools addressed in the curricula of design education and architecture to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at three universities in Medellin city, Colombia, recognizing the need to strengthen them.