As I wrote recently when discussing frameworks for sustainability competencies, intrapersonal competencies have only recently been added as integral parts to the common frameworks. Today, I am summarising an article by Libertson (2023) on “Inner transitions in higher education in Sweden: incorporating intra-personal skills in education for sustainable development”.

I think I first heard about this work in a presentation in a seminar on “the sustainable teacher” a while back, where we were “made” to meditate (which I wasn’t a super big fan of in the moment, because it was just not framed in a way that I was willing to close my eyes for an undisclosed amount of time and no apparent purpose). But inner transitions are no doubt important, so how can we gain skills like self-reflection and self-awareness?

In the study, Libertson (2023) investigates attitudes towards teaching and learning intra-personal skills in the context of Lund University, including one academic development colleague with focus on teaching for sustainability. Libertson (2023) suggests that mindfulness training can help cultivate 18 of the 23 intra-personal skills described in the five “Inner Development Goals” (including for example finding an inner compass, developing long-term orientation and visioning, and optimism). This is based on an article by Wamsler & Bristow (2022) where they describe how the mind is both the root cause for climate change, a barrier for climate action, and itself a victim of climate change. They talk about how the vicious cycle of the mind and climate change negatively affecting each other can be turned into a virtuous cycle, where we are “improving personal and planetary wellbeing and flourishing connection to self, others, world”. Based on this and other articles, Libertson (2023) then explores how to include mindfulness into education.

Libertson (2023) uses four principles that should lead curriculum development at universities (anchored in values and culture, an ongoing process rather than a one-off change, support of everyone involved in the process by the leadership, anchored with staff and students) and six common barriers (negative perceptions of teachers, lack of training, backlash from students, teachers’ lack of knowledge, lack of support from management, policies), and recognizes them in interviews with diverse stakeholders across the program. For inner development, which is often connected to strong, challenging emotions, teachers feel unprepared and are reporting stress that they are expected to teach something they aren’t trained or qualified for. But transformation is often led by informal initiatives, which can serve as case studies (like in this case). In this study of Lund University, Libertson (2023) finds that this is a good way forward, especially if the university supports such initiatives and learns from them.

While I agree that this is an important and valuable step, somehow this feels very unsatisfactory…

Libertson, F. (2023). Inner transitions in higher education in Sweden: incorporating intra-personal skills in education for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 24(9), 213-230.

Wamsler, C., & Bristow, J. (2022). At the intersection of mind and climate change: integrating inner dimensions of climate change into policymaking and practice. Climatic Change, 173(1), 1-22.