From 2003 to 2025
The HiESD a registered partner of the UNDESA (Reg: 26908), a partner-expert and service provider of the UNIDO (IRD Ref No. 12958), a regional reporting member of the United Nations Global Compact, the host of UN75 Dialogues, a member of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), and the co-organiser of the thematic side event at the China Pavilion of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).
The Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development (HiESD) is an interdisciplinary research and innovation institute dedicated to advancing the UN’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) since 2003. Forward-looking research, standard setting, quality education, knowledge and technology development and exchange, information and communication
In 2010, UNESCO Hong Kong Association (UHKA) was established. HiESD is the founding organization and serve as the secretariat of UHKA.
In 2017, World Institute of Sustainable Development Planners (WISDP) was established. HiESD serves as the secretariat of WISDP
History of HiESD
- Held Hong Kong Secondary School Model UNESCO Conference 2024
- Held 2024 International Youth Innovation Design Competition
- Co-organizer of the thematic side event at the China Pavilion of the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29).
- Launched ESG x SDP Report Solution
- Organized the UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage Teacher Training Programme
- Held Hong Kong Secondary School Model UNESCO Conference 2023
- Organized The United Nations Ocean Decade Children Oceanic Pottery Project (The second class)
- Held 2022-2023 School Year National Youth Labor Skills and Intelligent Design Competition-Hong Kong Division Selection Competition (AILD)
- Organized Future Education Innovation Teaching Seminar
- Organized Hong Kong Sustainable Development Innovation and Technology Summit 2023 cum Awards Ceremony
- Coorganized with UNESCO and Hong Kong Children’s Art and Culture Exchange Association to hold The United Nations Ocean Decade Children Oceanic Pottery Project
- Coorganized with UNESCO to hold “National Education Exhibition to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong’s Return to the Motherland and the Golden Autumn Planting Ceremony of the Aerospace Breeding Project”
- Held Hong Kong Secondary School Model UNESCO Conference 2022
- UNESCO HKA and HiESD co-organised the First UNESCO World Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage Teacher Training Programme with World Heritage Education Center for Youth, and Academy of Cultural Heritage and Creativity of Jinan University.
- Organized Certified Sustainable Development Planner Half Day Workshop
- Organized seminar- How Engineering Professionals Promote to CSDP (Certified Sustainable Development Planner)
- Organized AI and classroom teaching, analysis and application workshop
- Organized UNESCO Online Seminar Series 2021 & HiESD Networking Session
- Organized “Artificial Intelligence Empowers Classroom Teaching” Salon Series 2021
- Organized 4th Sustainable Development Forum and Eco Asia Conference
- Organized UN75 Dialogues: Climate & Environment Sustainability at a Financial Center, HK; Prospecting Education with Technology and Human Resources in HK and the Greater Bay Area; Sustainable governance with trust and support.
- Organized “China Aerospace Chang Zheng 5” Space-Exposed Seed Nursery Project.
- Organized International Day of Environment thematic activities.
- Participated in Press Conference of International Family Day
- First episode of Hi-17 SDG podcast was released
- Organized “China Aerospace Shi Jian 10” Space-Exposed Seed Nursery Project
- Organized “Exploring Genes and Biodiversity” Research and Study Camp
- Organized “Sustainable Leadership and Opportunity in Bay Area and Famous Companies Learning ” Experience Camp
- Organized the United Nations International Day of Peace Celebration and “Sustainable Development Goals and Leadership Training” Research and Study Camp
- Organized the inauguration ceremony of the “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Global Partnership Centre” North China University of Technology Center and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Hong Kong Center
- Organized the 3rd Sustainable Development Forum: Industrial Planning and Sustainable Development
- Awarded “Outstanding Team of ESD in China for 20 yeas”, and “Most Influential Region of ESD in China for 20 years”. Submitted HK Regional ESD Report and absorbed into Chinese National ESD Report.
- Organized UN International Day of Peace Celebration in Hong Kong and invited World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centres and Associations (WFUCA) to attend the Celebration. Hosted the WFUCA’s Executive Committee Meeting.
- Organized the Guangdong-HK Macao Greater Bay Area Education Forum (GHMGBA) – Education Innovation and Practice driven by Big Data cum teacher exchange and training. Started the pilot schools programme of Smart Healthy School project in Shenzhen.
- Participated in the summary of ESD in China for 20 years, presented the summary of ESD in Beijing and HK for 15 years and initiated GHMGBA Alliance for ESD.
- Organized the Diploma and Certification for Sustainable Development Planning (SDP) and recognized by the UNDESA for Global Partnership on SDGs (Reference No. 26908). Organized the 2nd Sustainable Development Forum-Technology Innovation and Sustainable Development.
- Published the teaching materials and publication including SDP Lesson Note, SDP Question Bank, SDP Review, HiESD Journal and ESD Digest to collect topics on Sustainable Development in different industries and areas.
- Conducted UNESCO Global Action Programme on ESD: STEM University Summer Camp programme in Hon Kong.
- History and Drama Education programme in Beijing.
- Set up Beijing office to facilitate interaction of Beijing-Hong Kong on sustainable development
- Operation of the new version of online school
- Establishment of Drama in Education, New Media, Traditional Chinese Culture and Healthy Life and Robot Research Camp
- Establishment of【Peace Garden】International Cultural Exchanges Research Camp
- Launched China Circular Economy and Sustainable Development Forum with China Association of Circular Economy and Peking University
- The first training of SDP was held at Peking University
- Launched Smart Eco-tourism project and Hand-in-hand with the Local Government Debut International Exhibition
- Appointed as consultant of Luliang City Resource-based City Economy and Sustainable Development
- Developed Sustainable Development Planning (SDP) Professional
- Qualification Curriculum – conforms to level 6 of SDGs Qualification Framework Started with Beijing Municipal Education Commission for University Students Creativity Display(UCD) Roadshow activities
- Over 80 projects joined the UCD platform, evaluated by entrepreneurs and professionals, and selected the first batch of projects for road show hatching
- UCD camp Roadshow in Beijing, Hong Kong and Dunhuang
- Undertake the 7th PRME Asia Forum
- Participated in key subjects of the Ministry of Education: an analysis of the health literacy of primary and secondary school students and its countermeasures
- Establishment of【Smart Healthy School】Big Data Laboratory
- Attended the ninth Congress of WFUCA UN70 International
- Understanding Education Space Technology Education Alliance
- Create tomorrow’s education: education for sustainable development innovation teaching cum International IT Meeting – International
- Conference on social networking and ICT teaching and learning] Started【Smart Healthy School】pilot project in school
- WFUCA Asia-Europe Forum on Education
- The World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA) Asia-Europe Forum on School Ethics Education Forum【Beijing】
- The 6th Beijing International Forum on Education for Sustainable Development
- Beijing, Hong Kong to promote sustainable development education Hong Kong 10 years review and outlook】
- Created i-ESD Cloud Ecological Civilization and Sustainable
- Development Student Summer Institute 【Guangzhou, Hong Kong】
- Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development Student Forum【Tianjin, Hong Kong】
- Acted as co-organizers in the 1st [Peace Celebration] organized by UNESCO Hong Kong Association
- Sustainable development of healthy community projects
- Green Economy and Sustainable Development Student Forum【Jilin, Hong Kong】
- Establishment of Hong Kong Branch of Caretakers of Environment International (CEI)
- Asia-pacific the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations【Ode to Peace】International Youth Cultural and Artistic Grand Ceremony
- Participated in the National Development and Reform Commission12th Five-Year Planning Group, responsible for 【Gujiao City Social Development Service System Twelfth Five-Year Plan】
- The 1st Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Student Exhibition & Performance
- U8 Exchange Programme
- Represented Hong Kong in【UNESCO Children’s Performing Arts Festival in East Asia (CPAF)】cum Asia-pacific Conference
- The 1st Sustainable Development Student Forum【Shanxi-Hong Kong-Macao Low Carbon Era and Sustainable Development Student Forum】
- Institute as a secretariat to apply for the establishment of UNESCO Hong Kong Association
- The association was licensed as Hong Kong charitable institution Establishment of Hong Kong Institute of Education for Sustainable Development
- Launched the 1st【ESD Learning Programme】
- Participated in Hong Kong Enterprise Internship Project
- Interaction between HK ESD Member School Network
- Promotion in community
- Undertaked the Chinese National Workshop on Sustainable Development (Guangzhou, Hong Kong)
- HK ESD Member School Network participated in the assessment of China’s ESD Experimental Schools Scheme and ESD Exemplary Schools Scheme
- Signing Ceremony in Beijing
- Establishment of Hong Kong Education for Sustainable Development Association
- Participated in the 1st International Forum on Sustainable Development (Beijing, China)
- Establishment of Hong Kong Member School Network
Vision
Promoting Education for Sustainable Development and let world to be more sustainable
Mission
Enrichment of formal education with Education for Sustainable Development. Supporting & cooperating UN's Sustainable Development Goals and targets for 2030
Objectives
To proliferate the culture and awareness; to uplift people's education and knowledge of Sustainable Development. To drive the implementation & actions of UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals
4 Stages of Education for Sustainable Development in Hong Kong
Stage 4 (2021-2030): Promotion of SDGs and Formation Professional Committee for Further Enhancement of AI Integration into Education and Building of Lifelong Learning City of All People
In the 4th stage (2021-2030), an important stage of promoting ESD 2030 by creating new opportunities in global crisis, applied research will be carried out based on the forward-looking fundamental research by UNESCO, for the sake of building an inclusive, open, peaceful, adaptive and sustainable city to nurture elites, while bringing the effect of dual circulation by serving the local with national and international network and platforms. By reinforcing national and international exchange and cooperation, and through interdisciplinary and interdepartmental cooperation, solution towards problems and the road to sustainable development can be found for the promotion of learning cities with the emphasis of Ecological Civilization and ESD, and the realization of the 2030 ESD roadmap.
Stage 3 (2016-2020): Establishment of SDGs Lifelong Learning System
The third stage of ESD promotion in Hong Kong (2016-2020) focuses mainly on the establishment of an SDG lifelong learning system. Aligning with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the Sustainable Development Planning (SDP) Programme and a series of teaching materials were developed as the blueprint of promoting UN SDGs, to build a lifelong learning system for professionals of different fields. With the participation and learning of various professionals, along with the support from Nobel Laureates, professionals from UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) and UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (UNPRME), the World Institute of Sustainable Development Planners was established, while Certified Sustainable Development Planner (CSDP) and Certified Sustainable Development Corporation (CSDC) certification were also developed. At the same time, collaboration with UN-related organizations was enhanced; for example, the Association was the organizer of UN 75 Dialogue in Hong Kong invited by UNAI, regional reporter under United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), thematic project coordinator of a global SDG project collaborated with United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), as well as the UNIDO expert advisory organization and service provider.
Stage 2 (2009-2015): Research & Development; Promotion & Enhancement
In Stage 2 (2009-2015), the Global Action Plan for ESD of UNESCO (GAP) was fully implemented in Hong Kong with the promotion and enhancement of research and projects, including the 12th Five-Year Global Comparative Study on the Cultivation of International Elites under Basic Education (Hong Kong Region), An International Study on Lifelong Education System and Its Execution: Inspiration on Hong Kong and the Mainland, as well as Research on Education for Sustainable Development in Cross-Straits, Hong Kong and Macao. Furthermore, at the critical point of education reform in Hong Kong, the Education for Sustainable Development Learning Programme, in short the “ESD Learning Programme”, were launched with research and learning camps. Centering on the 21st century educational targets and “knowledge, capability, values and attitude”, the ESD Learning Programme blended with experiential learning, mobile learning and research learning with contents covering sustainable environment, agriculture and tourism, life education, and STEM education. What’s more, the concept of “smart + healthy + ecological schools” was promoted with the application of ICT under the Smart Healthy School Project, an educational project that allows collection of quantitative data from schools and the development of sustainable and healthy life.
Stage 1 (2003-2008): Publicity, Exchange, and Interactive Learning
Stage 1 (2003-2008) is the stage of accumulation of network building, learning and exchange, and publicity and promotion. In this stage, Hong Kong participated in the First International Forum on ESD, hosted the 7th National Workshop on ESD, recruited ESD member schools and experimental schools, and offered students, teachers and the community with training workshops and school support.