Celebrating the Golden Dandelion Awards 2024-2025: Sustainability in the Curriculum
The Golden Dandelion Awards at the University of St Andrews recognise excellence in education for sustainable development. Education for sustainable development facilitates critical development of knowledge, skills and capacities to pursue more sustainable futures.
Staff across the University can apply for the Golden Dandelion Award after they have run their module for the first time. Awards are judged by a subcommittee panel of the Sustainability in the Curriculum Committee (SitC). The best submission receives the prestigious Golden Dandelion Prize.
At the ‘Seeding new ideas’ workshop in November, SitC were delighted to award the Golden Dandelion Prize to Dr Laura Albertini, School of Modern Languages, for the module IT3001 Italian Language 1.
IT3001 was an excellent example of critical eco-pedagogy. Dr Albertini encouraged students to discuss real and live sustainability issues in Italy, enhancing their capacity to express complex concepts in the Italian language. This sparked extra-curricular interests in students, deepening their understanding of the culture and stimulating action on the issues explored in class.
This year, SitC awarded the Golden Dandelion to a record 25 modules. The judging panel saw huge diversity and high quality across applications.
Four Highly Commended awards were given to modules submitted by Gavin Hopps (Divinity), Lois Simanjuntak and Luca Savorelli (Economics), Mike Kesby (Geography) and Lethy Krishnan Jagadamma (Physics). A full list of awards for 2024-25 is shown below.
Versions of the Golden Dandelion initiative are now being adopted by students and other institutions, to reflect, highlight and share good practice in teaching and learning for sustainability.
Applications for the Golden Dandelion Prize and Awards 2025-2026 will open at the start of Candlemas Semester.
List of Golden Dandelion Awardees 2025-2025:
Prize:
- IT3001 Italian Language 1 – Laura Albertini.
Highly commended:
- DI4944 Ecotheology and the Arts – Gavin Hopps.
- EC4416 Innovation Economics – Lois Simanjuntak and Luca Savorelli.
- GG4247 Geography of Health in Sub-Saharan Africa – Mike Kesby.
- PH1013 The Physics of Sustainable Energy – Lethy Krishnan Jagadamma.
Awardees:
- AH4252 Art History and Environmental Crisis – Edward Christie.
- AH4261 Art and the Ocean – Elsje van Kessel.
- AH5169 Art History in the Studio – Ruth Ezra.
- BL5810 Principles of Aquaculture – Akpojotor Ekpeki.
- CO4038 Environmental Imaginations – Damiano Benvegnu.
- FM5103 Film Technologies and Aesthetics – Jessica Mulvogue.
- GD5111 Energy Inequalities and Climate Responsibilities – Emilka Skrzypek.
- GD5113 Energy and Climate Change Policy – Emilka Skrzypek.
- GG3210 Remote Sensing – Tun Jan Young.
- GG4258 Water in the Environment – Hon Chim Chiu.
- IE0247 Foundation Management – Lori Leigh Davis.
- IR4590 Critical Perspectives on the Climate – Katharina Hunfeld.
- MN4100 Contemporary Issues in Management – Fergus Gilmour Neville.
- MT4561 The History and Future of Data – Deborah Kent.
- SD2005 From Sustainable Development to Human Security – Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood.
- SD4125 Biocultural Diversity: Understanding Ecosystem Change in the Anthropocene – Althea Davies.
- SD4126 Sustainable Populations – Chia Liu.
- SD4127 Environment and Health – Mary Abed Al Ahad.
- SD4130 Communication and Visualization for Sustainable Development – Tania Mendo.