Sustainability education and professional development programs for managers in Australian universities

One of the key responsibilities of universities is that of setting the sustainability example for all organisations. However, universities have generally been comparatively unsuccessful in implementing sustainability programs, with poor management practices often cited as a fundamental cause. One of the underlying problems may be the failure of universities to comprehensively incorporate sustainability education into their professional development programs for both administrative and academic managers. This paper examines the incorporation of sustainability education into professional development programs for managers in a number of universities in Sydney, Australia and, using brief examples, explores the question of whether embedding sustainability education into professional development programs for managers may enhance implementation of sustainability initiatives.