Global Values in Higher Education 333derstand and act’ (Article 2(b)); and ‘play a role in helping identify and
address issues that affect the well-being of communities, nations and
global society (Article 2(f)).
More recently, the approval and acceptance by global nations of the
Sustainable Development Goals Post-2015 has brought into sharper fo-
cus the role that education and higher education specifically, can play in
supporting and supplementing global well-being.
Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals^259 provides: “Ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and provide life-long opportu-
nities for all.” Notwithstanding the concern raised by Birchi and Rip-
pon^260 that Goal 4 demonstrates ‘a slight bias towards the view of educa-
tion as being a means to productivity and growth, as it focuses on skilled
workers more than autonomous and self-confident persons’, it is sug-
gested that this is adequately addressed by Target 4.7. Target 4.7 is clear
in the exhortation that by 2030 governments should ‘Ensure all learners
acquire knowledge and skill needs to promote sustainable development,
including amongst others through education for sustainable development
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a
culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation
of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable devel-
opment.’^261 This target is entirely focussed on the qualitative impera-
tives of education and whilst perhaps somewhat ambitiously set, it sets a
goal for higher education that clearly ameliorates the straightjacketed
approach of a discipline-specific learning paradigm.
The attainment of the global policy commitments in Target 4.7 is in-
tegrally dependent on competent and responsible leadership in the uni-
versity system as nations and university leaders will have the opportuni-
ty to consider and implement context-suited and internationally relevant
259
260 2015b
261 Loewe and Rippon 2015: 27^
SDGs 2015c.