In response to the urgent need to educate students about today’s major challenges—climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss— the University of Montpellier has actively committed to an ambitious and multidimensional educational policy focused on ecological transition, led by the Vice-Presidency for Education and University Life and the Vice-Presidency for Environmental Issues.
This policy and the resulting action plan are based on the report by Jean Jouzel and Luc Abbadie, *Raising Awareness and Providing Training on the Challenges of the Ecological Transition and Sustainable Development in Higher Education*, and on the *Climate, Biodiversity, and Ecological Transition Plan for Higher Education and Research*.
To achieve this goal, the institution has chosen to integrate the concept of ecological transition into its curriculum in various ways: through dedicated degree programs, specific course modules, and the incorporation of the Ecological Transition for Sustainable Development (TEDS) framework into the curricula of its various programs. It has also supported the deployment of technology demonstrators to facilitate the development of practical workshops essential for students—the professionals and citizens of tomorrow—to acquire knowledge and skills in TEDS.
The TEDS course for undergraduate students
Following recommendations from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research MESR), the institution has established specific course units dedicated to the ecological transition and intended for allundergraduate students: the TEDS course units. The goal is to raise awareness among allundergraduate students, regardless of their field of study, about issues related to the TEDS and thereby contribute to spreading a culture of ecological transition within society and the socio-economic sphere.
The subjects taught focus on four main areas:
- Climate change, including mitigation and adaptation
- Biodiversity and its conservation
- Resources and their availability
- A Just Transition and Social Equity
To ensure that the proposed courses best address the specific characteristics of each bachelor’s degree program—whose curricula, depending on the field, naturally incorporate ecological transition issues to varying degrees—the institution has decided to offer academic departments, schools, and institutes several implementation options that can be combined:
- Use of the TEDS-UM digital learning module created and offered by the institution
- Creation by academic departments, schools, and institutes of TEDS teaching units tailored to their specific characteristics and needs
- Creation by academic departments, schools, and institutes of TEDS course units based on existing courses.
Incorporating TEDS into training programs
In addition to its specialized curriculum on the ecological transition for undergraduate students, the University is committed to ensuring that its students are educated as broadly as possible on the challenges of the ecological transition for sustainable development across all academic disciplines. With this in mind, the University has implemented a policy of integrating the ecological transition into its various academic programs.
In practice, this approach can take several forms: dedicated course units within a program, topics addressed from an “ecological transition” perspective, analysis of the ecological impacts of certain activities, case studies focused on ecological transition, integration of sustainable solutions into projects… The goal is to develop a cross-disciplinary approach that links the TEDS to various academic disciplines.
Ultimately, the goal is to equip every student with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to apply these concepts in their future careers, regardless of their field of expertise, and to prepare them to become citizens who are aware of environmental issues. In this way, this initiative helps train professionals and citizens who are committed to preserving our planet in their daily lives.
TEDS-related training programs at UM
Through its 8 academic departments, 7 institutes, 3 schools, and 1 affiliated institution, the University of Montpellier offers a multidisciplinary range of programs covering the major fields of law, economics, management, political and social sciences, science, technology, and health, thereby providing students with a variety of programs tailored to their interests and career goals.
Across this range of programs, an increasing number of courses now include modules focused on the ecological transition. Some programs are even entirely dedicated to these issues at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, within both national and institutional degree programs, and across all fields of study offered by the institution.
For example, here are a few degrees focused on the ecological transition across various fields:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Energy Management, Electrical Engineering, and Sustainable Development (Montpellier University Institute of Technology)
- Professional Bachelor's Degree – Study and Development of Natural Areas (Faculty of Science)
- Master's in Law and Environmental and Sustainable Development Management(UFR D & SP)
- Master's in Environmental Economics (School of Economics)
- Master's in Management of the Ecological Transition and the Circular Economy (MOMA)
- Master's in Environmental Management (Faculty of Science)
- University Certificate in Green Finance (School of Economics)
- Bachelor's Degree in Law, the Sea, and the Coast (UFR D & SP)
- University Certificate in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development (SFC)
- European Diploma in Global Challenges for Sustainable Development (Charm-EU)
- Executive MBA in Circular Economy and Ecological and Energy Transition (MOMA)
- Economic Assessment and Climate Change Adaptation (School of Economics)
For more information, browse our training catalog.
