Takuya SUGIMOTO and Susumu TESHIMA
As educational and research institutions, universities have a social responsibility to create opportunities for students to acquire the knowledge, skills and mindset to contribute to building a sustainable society. Project-based learning (PBL) is one of the approaches to develop studentsʼ capacity for their careers and contribute to a sustainable society.
At the Chiba University of Commerce, the student group SONE, established in 2018, plays a significant role in promoting energy conservation in the university's effort to become a 100％ renewable energy university. For example, in 2022, SONE launched an insulation workshop where students installed the secondary windows and insulation in a classroom in a “do it yourself” style, guided by carpenters. In preparation, the SONE students negotiated with the university's facility management department and coordinated with an architectural design firm.
We interviewed SONE members to analyze how they felt about their growth in generic work skills and a frame of sustainability thinking. We found that students realized their progress in communication and project management skills through activities. On the other hand, some of them downgraded their self-assessments because they came to recognize the lack of their skills. Though only partially, they showed empathy between their activities and Sustainability Mindset, a way of thinking and behavior on sustainability.
