Green Education Hub - Transforming Universities for a Changing Climate Dr. Jackline Onyango (RCE Greater Nairobi) 12th African RCE Regional Meeting 28-30 November, 2022

1. G R E E N E D U C A T I O N H U B
T R A N S F O R M I N G U N I V E R S I T I E S F O R A C H A N G I N G C L I M A T E
D r . J a c k l i n e N y e r e r e
2 8 N o v e m b e r , 2 0 2 2

2. G R E E N E D U C A T I O N H U B (GEH)
GEH was launched on 11th May 2022 to contribute to efforts of
implementing the Transforming Universities for a Changing
Climate Project (Climate-U).
The Hub is involved in co-creation and dissemination of teaching
and learning materials on climate change, sustainability and
green education.
Materials and content are co-created with the students and other
stakeholders.
The Hub, through students ambassadors participates in
university-community engagement activities.
Two research, Kenyatta University Climate action and students'
experiences and engagement in climate action in Kenya have
been carried out by Hub's researchers.

3. Students' Learning Experiences in Climate Change
Students’ Experiences and Engagement in Climate Change
Action in Kenya (KU, KSU & KeMU)

4. H O W O F T E N H A V E Y O U H E A R D A B O U T CLIMATE C H A N G E ?

5. E X T E N T T H E T O P I C S A D D R E S S E D B Y Y O U R A C A D E M I C
CURRICULUM

6. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE STUDENTS
HAVE ALREADY PARTICIPATED AT THE UNIVERSITY

7. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES RELATED TO CLIMATE
CHANGE STUDENTS WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE
IN AT THE UNIVERSITY IN FUTURE

8. SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
LEARNERS HAVE THE MOST CONTACT WITH

9. KENYATTA UNIVERSITY CLIMATE ACTION:
A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY

10. OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY
The aim of the study was to assess:
i.Extent of climate change content coverage in the university curriculum.
ii.Existing greening activities/climate action practices.
iii.Existing collaborations/partnerships.
iv.Opportunities and challenges towards climate action.
Data collected from university leaders, deans of schools and policymakers.
Eleven deans were interviewed before the reorganisation of the schools.
Transcripts generated from audio recordings and verbatim transcription notes.
Thematic approach utilised in analysing data.
(The case study builds on the ongoing research project Transforming Universities for a
Changing Climate).

11. CLIMATE CHANGE CONTENT IN KU CURRICULUM
1
CLIMATE CHANGE
PROGRAMS
Postgraduate course-Climate
Change and Sustainability in
School Of Environmental
Studies
2
STAND ALONE DEPARTMENTAL
UNITS ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Sch. of Architecture and
Built Environment
Sch. of Environmental
Studies
3 Sch. of Education.
Sch. of Hospitality, Tourism &
Leisure Studies
INTERGRATED IN COMMON
SCHOOL UNITS
4
INTERGRATED IN
DEPARTMENTAL UNITS
Sch. of Agriculture and Enterprise Development.
Sch. of Economics.
Sch. of Engineering and Technology.
Sch. of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Sch. of Pure and Applied Science
5
ELECTIVES
School Of Law

12. INTERGRATION O F CLIMATE C H A N G E C O N T E N T IN K U
C U R I C U LLU M CONT'D
Presentation Design
Revised Growing Leaders Programme to integrate climate change content.

13. Plastic bottle
recyling (KUNEC
& Coca Cola
Company)
Energy Conservation
"One of the things we do is to
continuously remind the staff that every
time you leave, ensure that ensure that
you have your lights put off so most
often you will not find lights on in the
building at night. So that is one way of
conserving energy so thatwe ensure
some form of sustainability."
Respondent 3
Community Sensitization on
sustainability issues
“Activities on climate change such as
those touching on environmental
advocacy are carried out by students
through their clubs.” Respondent 9
Green Education
Days
Themed climate change awareness
walks
Eco-tournaments
co-creation of climate information
materials.
Seminars & Conferences
C A M P U S GREENING ACTIVITIES A T K U

14. GEDs are marked every last Friday of the Month.
Climate ambassadors participate in advocacy efforts.
GED activities -themed climate change awareness walks,
eco-teach, eco-tournaments, tree planting,
workshops/debates etc.
Second GED was held at KeMU on 22nd July to strengthen
the Hub’s vision of rolling out campus climate actions to
higher education institutions in Kenya.
G R E E N E D U C A T I O N D A Y S (GEDs)

15. KU
collaborations
in Climate
Change
CIPC links KU with
climate stakeholders
to organise
conferences on
sustainability issues
Learning
Materials e.g
ESRI provides
licenses for its
Geomapping
software
Collaborative efforts
between schools,
government
agencies, civil society
on conservation
Guest speakers
from KWS,
NEMA and
internal orgs.
e.g. UNEP
Students exchange-
Collaborations between
KU CIPC, USAID and
German Academics
Exchange Service (DAAD)
P A R T N E R S H I P S A N D C O L L A B O R A T I O N S IN CLIMATE ACTION

16. OPPORTUNI TIES T H A T EXIST F O R K U TO
C O N T R I B U T E T O CLIMATE ACTION
Review of courses to mainstream climate change content.
External partnerships with government agencies and civil
society to fund research and community engagement
initiatives.
Potential for research funding.

17. C ONS T R A I N T S T O T H E UNIVERSITY'S CLIMATE ACTION
E F F O R T S
Lack/limited funding.
“Funding is a big challenge. Most of the research in these
areas is capital-intensive. Hence getting adequate funding is a
major challenge. There are good proposals written but arenot
funded." Respondent 7
“There has been laxity in allocating funds to climate change
activities such as research, training and practical climate change
adaptation and mitigation.” Respondent 14
Universities are conservative.
Bureaucracy of approval of new courses.

18. + 2 5 4 7 2 2 5 3 4 0 5 4
O U R C O N T A C T
greeneducationhub@ku.ac.ke
http://greeneducationhub.ku.ac.ke/
Kenyatta University Sch of Education
Building, Room 224 & 225
@UnivKenya
Climate Univ Kenya