More about CCL
The Centre for Collaborative Learning for Sustainable Development (CCL) is a research and learning centre working in teacher education and on education for sustainable development with a special focus on collaborative learning. It was established in 2016 at University of Inland Norway (INN) at the Faculty of Education, campus Hamar. The Centre also serves as the secretariat for INN’s UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Lifestyles and coordinates our UNESCO Chair’s International Partner Network.
The Centre works to advance knowledge at all levels of society, from the classroom to national and international levels. It achieves this by promoting learning approaches and producing educational materials on topics including consumer issues, sustainable lifestyles, and active learning methodologies. The Centre also supports work on policy and curriculum development. At local, national and international levels, the Centre contributes to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is an active partner in international programmes on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP).
CCL plays an active role in the teacher education programmes at INN, especially in the coordination of interdisciplinary approaches and work throughout these programmes. The Centre also coordinates a variety of different courses, including an international semester. We also carry out a variety of support work and capacity building opportunities for local schools and in-service teachers.
In addition, CCL is involved in many research and development projects at local, national and regional levels. The Centre collaborates with many local partners promoting sustainability practices and actions to strengthen community-based learning on these issues. We have strong collaboration with other members of our faculty and support their involvement in several research projects, and we engage in research collaboration with other teacher education institutions and researchers in Norway. We also have an active portfolio of Erasmus+ projects and collaboration with other European partners. CCL engages in several international networks and maintains active collaboration with UNESCO, UNEP and the International Association of Universities (IAU), including in IAU’s global cluster on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD).
Historical Background
The decision to establish this Centre at INN in 2016 was based on two changes happening simultaneously. Firstly, INN applied for a UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Lifestyles, which was approved and awarded in 2015. The Centre serves as the “home” and secretariat for the activities of the UNESCO Chair and its International Partner Network. Secondly, the Centre preserves the work and activities of several smaller and larger research projects that began at the Faculty of Education in Hamar more than 20 years ago. The outcomes of these works have been fostered by the Centre.
It started with several smaller research projects in Nordic and Baltic regions with a focus on consumer citizenship and consumer education. As this work gained momentum, there was a need to establish a network of educators and NGOs to discuss and create together. This is when the Consumer Citizenship Network (CCN) was formed in 2003. CCN was an interdisciplinary network funded as an Erasmus partnership network from 2003-2009. The network consisted of educators from 131 institutions of higher education, NGOs and consumer organisations in 37 countries.
When the CCN project ended in 2009, the network was still eager to continue and accelerate the work they had started. Thus, in 2009 the Partnership for Education and Research about Responsible Living (PERL) was established, again as an interdisciplinary network funded as an Erasmus academic network from 2009-2015. The PERL network became even larger than the CCN network, consisting of educators from 150 institutions of higher education, NG0s and consumer organisations in more than 50 countries, including South America, Southern Africa, and East and Southeast Asia regions.
The work that started with the CCN and PERL networks has been preserved with the establishment of the Centre and continues to be further developed and disseminated.
CCLs mediabank
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