Nurturing a Caring University: Exploring Inner and Outer Sustainability for Transformative Change in Higher Education

Scholars and educators from diverse fields are advocating for more holistic approaches to sustainability in higher education. These colleagues underscore the need to more actively address the inner worlds of individuals to facilitate transformative change. Concerned about the deteriorating socio-ecological structures and conditions within academia and often superficial efforts for sustainability integration, this chapter examines the concept of a ‘caring university’ that equally prioritises community and planetary well-being. This chapter provides both theoretical and practical perspectives on this topic. Firstly, this chapter outlines theoretical concepts and viewpoints for better integrating inner worlds into the realms of sustainability science and education, such as (i) relational sustainability and care-based approaches, (ii) (deep) leverage points from systems thinking perspectives and (iii) transformative learning theories and the mind–body connection. The Inner Development Goals Framework introduces a compelling set of skills and competencies that can bridge the gap between inner and outer sustainability. Building on these theories and concepts, this chapter integrates practical perspectives drawn from three semesters of research and experiences at The CareLab for People & Planet, an experimental learning space within Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research (CENSE)/NOVA School of Science and Technology at NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal. While the CareLab’s initiatives have not resulted in significant structural changes within the university, they have brought attention and visibility to the connections between care and sustainability and have also bolstered participants’ sense of self-determination and emancipatory self-empowerment. The CareLab’s activities have thereby supported members of the academic community to ‘navigate the challenging academic waters’ with more awareness and hope, and to create trust in ripple effects for wider institutional transformation. This chapter contributes to a better understanding about the importance of care and invites higher education institutions to develop a more caring profile that enables their communities to thrive today and in the future.