Together with Fridays For Future, the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) is sending a strong signal for climate education: with the action week Open Your Course for Climate Crisis (OC4CC) invite teachers at universities to integrate the climate crisis as a cross-cutting topic into their teaching content. “From November 18th to 22nd, 2024, the climate crisis will take center stage – with the aim of informing students about the urgency and complexity of this global challenge and inspiring them to act”
, says Sarah Rossmann from the chair team of the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) about the joint week of action. At the start of OC4CC, the ÖH chairmanship team protested today in front of the Vienna University of Technology with a banner that read: “Understanding the climate crisis, securing the future: climate in all curricula!” Rossmann sees why the climate crisis is not yet anchored in all curricula as the responsibility of the curriculum commissions: “The climate crisis should long ago be an integral part of every curriculum. We see an urgent need for the curriculum commissions to meet our demands and finally implement this!”
Laila Kriechbaum from the climate movement Fridays For Future joins this demand and adds: “The climate crisis is the biggest challenge of our time, which makes it all the more important not to lead the struggle for solutions on the streets alone. With OC4CC, scientists and universities support the demands of the climate movement and at the same time create the opportunity to bring the climate crisis into the lecture hall and thus finally into teaching.”
The climate crisis is the central challenge of our century, and its effects – such as extreme weather events, hot summers and droughts – are already clearly noticeable. For years, scientists have been calling for measures to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C, but so far it has not been possible to mitigate the climate catastrophe. Nina Mathies, part of the ÖH chair team, sees this not only as a special responsibility for universities, but also as an opportunity to reach young people in particular: “The climate crisis must not be treated as a side issue. The young generation in particular is being hit hardest by the consequences of the climate crisis. Nevertheless, far too little is discussed and explained about it at Austria’s universities. That has to change! It is clear to us: the climate crisis affects us all – that is why it must be anchored as a cross-sectional issue in all curricula.”
“Knowledge about the climate crisis is the basis for combating it effectively. But how are we supposed to find solutions if we don’t even fully understand the consequences of the climate crisis? With the Open Your Course for Climate Crisis (OC4CC) action week, we – students, student representatives and teachers – want to change this together and bring the climate crisis into the focus of our studies.”
, agrees Simon Neuhold from the ÖH chairmanship team. During the action week, the ÖH and Fridays For Future want to ensure that as many students as possible receive in-depth knowledge of the climate crisis in their courses. However, this is only possible if course instructors integrate the climate crisis directly into their course content. “Nevertheless, it should not be the responsibility of students alone to ensure that the climate crisis is taught at universities. Science has a clear role here – but implementation is still far too often lacking.”
emphasizes Neuhold in conclusion.
More information about OC4CC at oeh.ac.at or at fridaysforfuture.at
Inquiry note:
Fridays For Future Austria
Laila Kriechbaum
Tel.: +43 670 7030490
Email: presse@fridaysforfuture.at
OTS ORIGINAL TEXT PRESS RELEASE UNDER THE EXCLUSIVE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SENDER FOR CONTENT – WWW.OTS.AT | NHO