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Societies
Special Issues
Education and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for a Sustainable Future
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Education and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for a Sustainable Future

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2025) | Viewed by 1262

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mirjam Braßler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Psychology, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Interests: open practices; open science; open education; open educational resources; science communication; interdisciplinarity; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Interdisciplinary collaboration has become essential for preparing for and responding to the multidimensional challenges of sustainable development, and issues like climate resilience, economic inequality, and resource management transcend the scope of individual disciplines, requiring educational and research approaches that cultivate interdisciplinary competence. Education plays a key role in equipping students with the skills to think beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries and to engage effectively in collaborative, interdisciplinary work. At the same time, interdisciplinary research enables the synthesis of knowledge from diverse fields, generating insights crucial for addressing sustainability issues comprehensively and effectively.

This Special Issue brings together perspectives on how education and research can integrate interdisciplinary approaches to drive sustainability goals. By promoting interdisciplinary competence, systems thinking, and ethical awareness, interdisciplinary education and research seek to support both immediate and long-term solutions for sustainability challenges. Focusing on the convergence of these fields, this Special Issue will explore how interdisciplinary collaboration in education and research prepares individuals and institutions to take transformative action.

Aim of the Special Issue and its Relationship to the Scope of the Journal:

The aim of this Special Issue is to examine the ways in which interdisciplinary collaboration in education and research can drive progress toward sustainability. This theme aligns closely with the scope of Societies, which addresses pressing societal questions through interdisciplinary frameworks. By focusing on the intersection of education and research for sustainability, this Special Issue will provide valuable insights into how interdisciplinary approaches contribute to social resilience, environmental stewardship, and equity. Contributions will demonstrate how educational practices and research methodologies grounded in interdisciplinarity can lead to innovative solutions for complex global issues.

Suggested Themes:
We welcome a diverse range of contributions that explore interdisciplinary collaboration in education and research for sustainability including, but not limited to:

  1. Designing Interdisciplinary Curricula for Sustainability: Approaches to structuring educational programs that integrate multiple disciplines to foster sustainability competencies.
  2. Innovative Research Methodologies for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies: Methodological approaches that support interdisciplinary research in sustainability.
  3. Higher Education’s Role in Promoting Sustainability Through Interdisciplinary Programs: The role of universities and colleges in preparing students to address sustainability challenges through integrated educational and research programs.
  4. Fostering Systems Thinking and Interdisciplinary Competence in Sustainability Education and Research: Teaching and research practices that encourage complex systems understanding and interdisciplinary skill-building.
  5. Collaborative Learning and Research Models for Sustainable Development: Case studies of interdisciplinary projects that engage students and researchers in solving real-world sustainability issues.
  6. Institutional Support for Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education and Research: Analysis of policies, resources, and frameworks that enable interdisciplinary education and research focused on sustainability.
  7. The Role of Digital Tools and Innovation in Interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies: Examining how technology enhances interdisciplinary education and research for sustainable solutions.
  8. Ethics, Equity, and Global Responsibility in Interdisciplinary Approaches: Integrating ethical considerations and global perspectives into interdisciplinary education and research for sustainability.
  9. Local and Global Case Studies on Interdisciplinary Sustainability Initiatives: Examples of educational and research initiatives that address sustainability from both local and global perspectives.

We invite empirical research, theoretical papers, and reviews that provide insights into the benefits, challenges, and outcomes of interdisciplinary collaboration in education and research for sustainable development. By bridging these two pillars closer, this Special Issue aims to illustrate how education and research work together to shape a sustainable future.

In this Special Issue, contributions have to adhere to one of the three categories of papers of the journal—article, conceptual paper, or review—and must address the topic of the Special Issue.

Dr. Mirjam Braßler
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • interdisciplinary collaboration
  • sustainable development
  • education for sustainable development
  • systems thinking
  • interdisciplinary research
  • curriculum design
  • interdisciplinary competence
  • collaborative problem-solving
  • innovative methodologies
  • institutional support

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1300 KiB  
Article
Training and Didactic Proposals for Teaching Floods: A Study Based on the Experience of Trainee Social Science Teachers
by Álvaro-Francisco Morote, Jorge Olcina and Isabel-María Gómez-Trigueros
Societies 2025, 15(6), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15060166 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 377
Abstract
This study examines the training and didactic proposals used to teach flood-related topics in Primary (5–12 years old) and Secondary Education (13–18 years old). This research employs a survey methodology, gathering responses from 726 trainee teachers across two Spanish universities (582 in Primary [...] Read more.
This study examines the training and didactic proposals used to teach flood-related topics in Primary (5–12 years old) and Secondary Education (13–18 years old). This research employs a survey methodology, gathering responses from 726 trainee teachers across two Spanish universities (582 in Primary Education and 144 in Secondary Education). The findings highlight a significant gap in training, as more than half of the participants reported having received no instruction on floods, either during their school years or university studies. However, Secondary Education trainee teachers demonstrated a higher level of preparedness compared to their Primary Education counterparts. Regarding didactic proposals, two approaches stood out: activities based on real experiences (32.6%) and drills/talks led by experts (21.5%). Notably, Primary Education trainee teachers preferred expert-led sessions (24.7%), suggesting a lack of confidence in teaching these topics independently. This study underscores the crucial role of educators in risk reduction. Given their ethical responsibility to equip students with critical thinking skills, proper training is essential to fostering informed citizens capable of making sound decisions in the face of climate-related challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for a Sustainable Future)
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18 pages, 475 KiB  
Article
A Computational Approach for Identifying Keywords Related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals in a Brazilian Higher Education Institution
by Ana Carolina Estorani Polessa, Gisele Goulart Tavares, Ruan Medina, Camila Martins Saporetti, Tiago Silveira Gontijo, Matteo Bodini, Leonardo Goliatt and Priscila Capriles
Societies 2025, 15(6), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15060165 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 485
Abstract
Over the past few years, there has been a need to discuss the strengthening of academic contributions to the 2030 Agenda as a vital facilitator for planning and evaluating sustainable goals. However, managing information in this field has become an internal institutional challenge [...] Read more.
Over the past few years, there has been a need to discuss the strengthening of academic contributions to the 2030 Agenda as a vital facilitator for planning and evaluating sustainable goals. However, managing information in this field has become an internal institutional challenge for higher education organizations. Identifying the aspects of sustainable development goals within research projects is crucial for developing strategies and policies that promote collaboration in joint projects, ultimately strengthening research in SDGs. Recent advancements in computational methods have emerged as powerful tools to address the difficulties associated with utilizing information related to academic contributions to the 2030 Agenda. These methods offer innovative ways to process, analyze, and visualize data, enabling decision-makers to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions. This paper proposes a computational model to facilitate the identification of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development within teaching, research, and extension projects at a Brazilian University. The model aims to align academic research and institutional actions with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. The developed model can extract and categorize SDG-related text data by employing keywords and natural language processing techniques. The development of this tool is driven by the need for universities to adapt their curricula and contribute to the 2030 Agenda. The model helps identify the potential impact of projects on the SDGs, assessing the alignment of research or actions with specific goals, and improving data governance. By utilizing the proposed model, educational institutions can efficiently manage their research, organize their work around the SDGs, foster collaboration internally and with external partners, and enhance their internationalization efforts. The model has the potential to increase the capabilities of educational institutes as vital mobilizing agents, reducing costs and streamlining the analysis of information related to the 2030 Agenda. This, in turn, enables more effective academic actions to integrate sustainable goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Education and Interdisciplinary Collaboration for a Sustainable Future)
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