Universities, Communities and Adult Learning for Sustainable Development

This open access book brings together international scholars to examine how meaningful partnerships between higher education institutions and local communities can advance socially just and ecologically grounded forms of learning. In a world marked by widening inequalities, democratic erosion, and escalating climate crisis, this volume argues for dialogic, community-engaged approaches to sustainable development that draw on traditions of critical, feminist, ecological, and popular education. It includes contributions from scholars and practitioners based in Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the USA. Through empirical case studies, conceptual essays, and practice-based reflections, the chapters explore how adult learning mediates the relationship between universities and civil society, enabling the co-construction of knowledge and collective action for sustainability. The book directly engages the UN Sustainable Development Goals, offering critical commentary on the challenges of implementing SDG-aligned education in diverse contexts and highlighting how community-university collaboration can strengthen inclusive, democratic, and transformative responses to global crises.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by DSW Ideis University.