The Sustainability Institute is a non-profit trust, founded in 1999. An international living and learning centre focussing on studies and experience in ecology, community and spirit, we work in partnership with the School of Public Management and Planning, University of Stellenbosch in the following areas of  education (Masters and PhD degrees in Sustainable Development Planning and Sustainable Agriculture), Early Childhood Development, Community Development Practice and Management, project facilitation to establish Sustainable Neighbourhood Developments in various localities,policy research in the sustainable development sector. The Institute is located in the Lynedoch EcoVillage, a place where we have provided development facilitation to create a space for sustainable living and learning.

Masters Research Projects for 2009

During the course of this week 26 students participated in the Research Methodology Workshop to prepare them for their research activities over the coming year. All these students have graduated from the BPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management. After the Research Workshop they will register for the MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management. For most of them this involves the writing up of a major research-based thesis usually combining a literature-based conceptual framework, followed by an empirical application. However, some have selected the options open to them, including doing two or four electives with a shorter thesis, while some have selected the alternatives to a thesis that are available, namely journal articles or a major Project Proposal (using the Logical Framework Analysis format). Most will graduate in March/April 2010. Significantly, only a quarter will be doing their research on a full-time basis. For a brief summary of the exciting range of research topics that have been selected by the students and which relate to many of the biggest challenges in sustainable development today, then...

Read more...

Intake 2009

On Saturday 7th February the participants in the 2009 Sustainable Development will be presenting their Group Assignments for the week. This is the largest ever intake into the Masters Programme. 58 students have registered for the BPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management, which is the course work component of the Masters Programme. A total of 30 students have registered for the MPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management. This means the total intake for 2009 is 88 students.

The 58 students registered for the BPhil come from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds and from 9 different countries, including one from the USA and one from Equador. Significantly, 22 of the 58 come from the private sector, 21 from government, 8 from NGOs, 1 from the tertiary education sector and 6 are full-time students. Furthermore, the majority are black (31) and male (32). All except 6 have had previous work experience, with quite a number currently occupying senior executive positions in government, private companies and NGOs.

This large intake and the diverse backgrounds and sectors once more confirms that there is a growing demand across the board for high level education programmes in the sustainable development field. This is clearly a sign of the times.   

Graduation Ceremony for the Early Childhood Development Training

November 4th 2008 marked a proud day at the Institute as we celebrated the graduation of seventeen Early Childhood Development practitioners. These women come from Manenberg, Lynedoch,  Athlone and Gugulethu where they are running crèches for children between the ages of 3 months and 6 years. This graduation is the culmination of two years of training and support of implementation in their ECD centres. Nine learners achieved the Level 5 Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Development, eight learners achieved the Level 4 National Certificate in Early Childhood Development. Two additional learners were awarded Level 4 Numeracy Fundamentals and a third was awarded Level 5 Communication Literacy Fundamental.

 
Graduates walking into the hall 

Read more...