UPES, in collaboration with HESCO, organised a national-level Expert Workshop on Environmental Education, bringing together academic leaders, sustainability experts and policymakers to shape a robust, actionable ‘curriculum framework’ for embedding sustainability across Indian higher education. Designed as a high-impact, outcome-oriented ‘build room’ rather than a conventional seminar, the workshop focused on reimagining environmental education as a practical, interdisciplinary competency. The deliberation focused on moving beyond textbook awareness to enabling measurable student competencies rooted in India’s ecological realities and development priorities.

The experts focused on making environmental education a core, application-driven discipline across programs, with region-specific learning pathways reflecting India’s ecological diversity—from Himalayan fragility to urban air pollution and water scarcity. A key theme was institutionalising solution-oriented skills, enabling students to identify local issues, design context-relevant interventions, and measure impact, so sustainability becomes an essential professional capability across governance, industry, entrepreneurship and community leadership.

Dr. Sunil Rai, Vice-Chancellor, UPES, said: “The institution is actively addressing sustainability challenges through practice, research, and contribution. It aims to increase its solar energy production from 18% to 30% in the next three years while promoting a culture of avoiding waste. Around 30–35% of researchers are working on environmental sustainability, including projects on plastic-to-fuel conversion, EV life enhancement, green fuel, and grid optimisation. In collaboration with HESCO and under the guidance of Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi at HILL, the institution is committed to environmental education and addressing urgent issues like glacier melting due to climate change.”

Dr. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NAAC, emphasised the importance of a balanced, nature-aligned approach to education, “Challenges vary from place to place, which is why solutions must be rooted in local realities. When we understand a region’s conditions, develop locally relevant, innovative responses, and embed them into policy, the impact is far more meaningful and lasting.” 

The workshop concluded with a consensus that environmental education must become a national capability, shaping citizens and professionals who can balance development with ecological integrity. Reinforcing its institutional direction and leadership, UPES reiterated its commitment to take the initiative forward through campus practices, research priorities and region-linked partnerships, including its continued collaboration with HESCO, with a focused lens on pressing Himalayan concerns such as glacier melting due to climate change.