Sustainable development defies a single definition. It continues to elude rigid frameworks and doesn’t fit neatly into textbook formulas. And yet, it is precisely knowledge, reflection, and responsibility that should form its foundation.
This is why the HumanDoc Foundation continues its pilot initiative, Introducing Education on Sustainable Development at Selected Universities in Poland, a project that integrates the topic of sustainability permanently into higher education curricula across the country.
“In Poland, academic education on sustainable development is most often embedded within environmental studies, with the social dimension — so essential to understanding today’s political and societal processes — almost entirely absent. Through our project, the HumanDoc Foundation focuses on education for sustainable development that integrates the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of this issue, as all of them shape how communities function on both local and global scales. By educating future decision-makers — including students of political science, international relations, national security, journalism, and public relations — we have a real chance to shift the narrative and, ultimately, the course of action,” says Dominika Springer, Member of the Board at HumanDoc.
This new phase brings on board academic experts from Jagiellonian University, the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, and the Academy of Applied Sciences in Radom. These scholars are stepping beyond lecture halls to meet with practitioners, observe organizational operations, and gain insight into how the private sector applies environmental and social responsibility in practice. This ongoing dialogue between theory and real-world application is at the heart of Phase II.
A revised textbook with new chapters
The updated edition of the textbook Introduction to Sustainable Development now includes six new chapters that illustrate how sustainability operates in everyday life — from ESG reporting and human resource management to event planning and packaging design. This is knowledge intended not just for understanding but for practical use. Here, academic foundations meet the challenges of implementation, merging theory with organizational practice.
The project enables universities to introduce a new course — Sustainable Development from a Humanistic Perspective — aimed at filling critical gaps in current educational offerings. It’s all designed to help students, educators, and future leaders better understand the world they will shape — and know how to change it for the better.
Ultimately, the HumanDoc Foundation is creating a space in which education on sustainable development moves beyond niche academic discourse and becomes a shared responsibility — among universities, students, professionals, and institutions.
Read or listen to the textbook “Introduction to Sustainable Development” for free at zr.humandoc.pl
Strategic Partner
The strategic partner of the project is Santander Bank Polska
Content Partners
