Distinguished Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka from Rhodes University, South Africa
On 19 June 2025, Distinguished Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka from Rhodes University, South Africa, regional investigator of the SSATL-ESD project, presented her lecture in the UNESCO Chair Lecture Series hosted by the UNESCO Chair in Higher Education for Sustainable Development at Leuphana University Lüneburg
In her talk, “De-individualising learning in transformations to sustainability: Re-thinking learning for transgressive world-making in society in the Anthropocene,” Prof. Lotz-Sisitka explored collective, community-based approaches transformative learning and teacher professional development in southern Africa. She critically examines the limitations of individualised, cognition-centred educational models, and proposes values-driven, culturally pluralistic, and co-engaged pedagogies as essential for societal transformation in the Anthropocene.
We are happy to share the recording of the session, which you can watch below or via this link.
About the speaker
Heila Lotz-Sisitka holds the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Global Change and Social Learning Systems. Her Chair is based in the Environmental Learning Research Centre at Rhodes University, South Africa which she directed for 18 years (2000-2015, 2022-2025). The current focus of the Chair’s research is transformative social learning and green skills learning pathways in areas of biodiversity, the water food nexus, climate change, social and environmental justice, and just sustainability transitions. Heila’s research interests include critical research methodologies, transformative environmental learning, agency, and education system transformation.
About the Sub-Saharan Africa Teacher Leadership for ESD Project
This project is led by Leuphana University and co-funded by the European Commission. The project makes an important contribution to SDG 4.7 through building capacity in teacher trainers on ESD leadership.
Should you have any further questions, please write to unescochair@leuphana.de
