icebergs

The University of Exeter is committed to using the power of our education and research to create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future, as set out in our Strategy 2030. Part of this commitment is the University’s engagement in an international initiative: the Sustainability Literacy Test (or Sulitest, for short), a multiple-choice test to help students to discover what they know about the environmental, social and economic sustainability challenges facing the world. Note, Sulitest does not contribute to any of your degree programme assessment and your personal scores will not be shared. 

Designed to be an eye-opening, fun, insightful, inspiring experience, you will be taking part in the biggest-ever online test taken by university students around the world and we hope you’ll enjoy and learn with it too! Watch out for your personalised invitation in your Exeter email account and follow the link to the test.

Responsible Futures

Responsible Futures is an institutional change programme and accreditation scheme for universities and their students’ unions on all aspects of education for sustainability, inclusive of environmental justice. This covers the formal, informal and “subliminal” curriculum, i.e., the norms, attributes and values of the university community. The university has been participating in Responsible Futures since 2021, supported by the university’s sustainability team and its Education Thematic Forum and, more recently, the university’s Education Incubator.

The accreditation criteria encourage partnership working for sustainability between students and staff at the university, and are assessed through a student-led audit. They cover all aspects of what is required to make sustainability core to university life. They require not only evidence of sustainability in the curriculum, but also that sustainability is promoted at all levels of the university: through 

  • support from senior staff and in the strategy of the university and students’ unions;
  • student and staff feedback; 
  • regular curriculum auditing; 
  • staff development opportunities; 
  • and appropriate staffing levels and student internship and employability opportunities.

A major part of the anticipated work for the coming year involves a student supported mapping of sustainability across the curriculum. Please visit our our ELE pages and our LinkedIn site or email ResponsibleFutures@exeter.ac.uk for more information or to join our working group.

The University also has Green Consultants who focus on developing skills for careers in sustainability - this activity is also part of the Exeter Award.


Transformative Education

The Transformative Education framework was introduced in 2021, seeking to use the power of education to transform our students’ lives so that they, in turn, can transform the world and help create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future. It is structured around the three pillars of sustainability, racial and social justice, and inclusive education. 

  • enable all students to see the challenges associated with climate emergency, inequality and social justice in their fields of study;
  • promote critical thinking skills and education improvements and innovations for addressing these challenges; 
  • foster collaboration, and develop an inclusive learning environment based on a culture of compassion.

For further information, please visit the Transformative Education webpages or watch the introductory video.



Last modified: Friday, 30 May 2025, 2:02 PM