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In this episode of the Impact Conversations, Dr. Hakan Karaosman is joined by Dr. Simon Okwir from Uppsala University to explore how to transition from ‘doing’ to ‘being’ in teaching. How can we teach sustainability in a way that helps students identify with virtues like ethics, trust, and goodness for the greater good? And how can we use art?

In a world shaped by climate change, social inequality, and ecological uncertainty, technical solutions alone are not enough. What we need are individuals who embody sustainability virtues, not just act it out. This question led Dr. Okwir to explore what it truly means to develop a Sustainability Mindset.

🔍 A sustainability mindset is not simply about awareness; it’s a way of thinking and being. It is rooted in a broad understanding of ecosystems, social sensitivity, and a strong connection to personal values and ethical beliefs. It means moving from the transactional doing to a more profound being.

Through a two-year ethnographic study at Uppsala University, Dr. Okwir and his colleagues explored this transformation among learners. Using a Sustainability Mindset Indicator, they tracked how students engaged not just with course content but with themselves.

They found that students generally fell into three categories:
1. The Advocate – already embodying sustainable values through lifestyle and daily choices.
2. The Skeptic – questioning, critical, sometimes mistrustful, but open to dialogue.
3. The Prosaic – grounded in practicality, indifferent to deeper meaning, and often detached from wonder.

✨ So how do we reach the "prosaic"? How do we awaken a sense of wonder, humility, and responsibility? They turned to art and beauty.

Through poetry, visual art, music and storytelling, they invited students to step away from facts and into reflection. Inspired by philosophers like von Hildebrand and Roger Scruton, they embraced the idea that beauty has intrinsic value—that it can transform us. As Scruton wrote, “great art doesn’t just mirror the world - it elevates it”.

Watch the full episode and join the conversation

You can find out more about Dr Okwir and his work here:
   • What is a sustainability mindset ?  Learni...  
https://www.uu.se/kontakt-och-organis...

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