Rhodes University is one of the 15 institutions participating in the Sub-Saharan Africa Teacher Leadership for Education for Sustainable Development (SSATL-ESD) project. SSATL-ESD is a transformative initiative to strengthen the leadership role of teachers in education for sustainable development (ESD) in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. It builds upon more than 30 decades of teaching, practice and research in ESD.
Rhodes University embraces this initiative as it aligns with our vision, mission and the 2023 – 2028 institutional development plan. Our participation in this project and implementing the Sustainability Starts with Teacher Leaders Course will assist the institution to achieve its vision to be in the forefront in generating and advancing “locally responsive and globally engaged knowledge that seeks to create a just and sustainable society” (RU, 2022, p. 26).
The University has renowned research leaders and chairs in global change and environmental sustainability. The Chairs at the Education Faculty at the Environmental Learning Research Centre contribute to the implementation of ESD at the regional and international levels. “Rhodes University thus offers a unique value proposition to current and prospective students and staff and to communities at local, national and global levels in environment and sustainability education and research. These are all underpinned by the principles of quality, sustainability, transformation, local relevance and global impact” (RU, 2022, p. 39).
Rhodes University is leading the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) consortium in the project and acts as a focal contact point for the regional partners, under the leadership of Distinguished Professor Heila Lotz-Sisitka. Dr Zintle Songqwaru, Head of the Department of Secondary Education, represents Rhodes University in the project. Dr Charles Chikunda, a Rhodes university associate, is the regional co-ordinator who supports the partners in the region to implement the project within higher education. It was an opportune space for SSATL partners to share the transformative work happening in the project.
South Africa Team who attended the kick-off the SSATL project in Johannesburg in 2025. ©Ulisha Van Der Merwe
From amongst the eight work packages in the project, Rhodes University is co-leading the policy design and course development aspect of the project with The Copperbelt University in Zambia. In addition, Rhodes is closely involved across all the other project activities to support and lead the implementation in the region. The policy design and course development included reviewing Teacher Education Competences and Standards, ESD policies at a regional, country and institutional level of the SSA countries (Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia) participating in the project. The review informed the development of an online ESD Teacher Leadership Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Training programme to advance wide uptake of the ESD teacher leadership programme in participating institutions and their partners. Together with the Copperbelt University, the team developed an online Training of Trainers course to support lead training partners from each participating institution to deliver the ESD Teacher Leadership CPD course. Rhodes will provide accredited short course certificates to all participants who have successfully completed the online courses and have made significant progress in their institutional ESD Change Projects.
Rhodes University and Copperbelt University also launched an online Community of Practice (oCoP) to create an online platform that will enable participating institutions and their networks to share, exchange and reflect on best pedagogical and assessment practices to advance ESD teacher leaders’ competences and standards.
From left to right: Asiana Banda (Copperbelt University), Wilma van Staden, Zintle Songqwaru, John Bhurekeni, and Heila Lotz-Sisitka (Rhodes University), and Overson Shumba (Copperbelt University). ©Ulisha Van Der Merwe
About the Sub-Saharan Africa Teacher Leadership for ESD Project
This project is led by Leuphana University and co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme. It is also supported by regional partners and African universities who are offering co-funded support and support in kind for dimensions of the programme not costed into the EU budget. 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
