Bond University
Collaboration for Global Change: Interdisciplinary SDG Action Learning
Finalist, Next Generation Learning and Skills
About
At Bond University, every undergraduate student engages directly with sustainable development through the mandatory subject CORE11-013: Collaboration for Global Change. As the capstone of the university’s Core Curriculum, this subject builds on insights and skills from the previous two (ethics and critical thinking), applying them to sustainable development challenges through the SDGs. Students from all faculties collaborate on real-world initiatives through interdisciplinary charrettes (intensive collaborative design workshops) and project-based learning. Students develop practical solutions while building crucial collaboration skills across disciplinary boundaries. The curriculum uniquely integrates Indigenous philosophical frameworks emphasising relationality and interconnection, alongside innovative use of AI as collaborative tools to bridge disciplinary divides. Through charrettes and poster projects focused on SDGs 3, 4, 5, 11, 16, and 17, students develop and pitch actionable initiatives, with many subsequently developed through Bond's Transformer program (student entrepreneurial accelerator). The subject demonstrates how interdisciplinary collaboration effectively creates meaningful contributions to sustainable development.
Top 3 learnings
- I learned that interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for addressing complex sustainability challenges effectively.
- I found that applied projects with student chosen contexts deepen engagement with SDGs beyond theory.
- I learned that treating students as co-creators builds their agency and real-world impact.
| 2026 | |
| Next Generation Learning and Skills | |
| Finalist, Australasia |
