Climate Justice and the Right to Education
United Nations University (UNU-IAS)
Spring 2024
Location: Tokyo, Japan (hybrid)
Time: Wednesdays, 15:50 – 17:30
Lecturer: Jonghwi Park (UNU IAS, lead instructor) with support of and co-instructors from
UNESCO and IOM
Contact Information: Jonghwi.park@unu.edu
Office Hours: By appointment
As of 22 February 2024

Course Description
In 2022, the impact of weather-related disasters resulted in some 32.6 million internal
displacements globally -- an alarming surge of 60% from the previous year, marking thehighest recorded figure to date. The heightened frequency and intensity of weather-related
disasters are linked to the changing climate, propelling the human mobility consequences ofclimate change to the forefront of global concerns in both humanitarian efforts and sustainable
development. As the number of people who move as a result of climatic and environmental
factors, often from socially and economically disadvantaged groups, continues to rise, ensuring
their fundamental human rights, such as access to education, health services and housing, has
rapidly emerged as an unprecedented challenge.
This course is to provide students with an overview of global and regional trends and current
issues of migrants and displaced individuals in the context of climate change, especially froma perspective of climate justice and human rights. The course was co-developed through aclose collaboration among three UN agencies, namely United Nations Scientific, Cultural and
Educational Organization (UNESCO), International Organization of Migration (IOM), and UNUIAS, and will be co-delivered. The course consists of four parts: 1) introduction to climate
justice and human rights; 2) climate change related human mobility; 3) education as afundamental human right; and 4) measures to build climate resilient education systems.
This course provides students with unique opportunities to learn directly from the experts
from UN agencies who have extensive expertise on the most up-to-date trends in theinterconnected issues of climate change, justice, human mobility and education. Students arealso expected to benefit from the first-hand experiences of the UN experts in providing datainformed policy recommendations for Member States.
Due to the geographical diversity of the UN experts (lecturers), this course will be deliveredin hybrid. Please note that students are required to attend all the classes in person and theonline lectures will be delivered via zoom in the classroom.

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Course Objectives and Learning Goals
By the end of the course, students should be able to:• Understand key concepts of climate justice and its interconnectedness with the right toeducation;• Identify relevant data and gaps in current data in tracking human mobility in thecontext of climate change, including pre-emptive movements and displacement andensuring their rights to social protection and education;• Analyse pertinent issues in their local contexts (region, country, community, etc.)
regarding the climate justice; and• Apply interdisciplinary approaches to creating solutions to injustice issues in education
faced by migrants and displaced individuals in the context of climate change;• Develop data-informed policy recommendations for building climate-resilient andinclusive education and lifelong learning systems for all.

Requirements and Grading Policy
All students are expected to complete the required readings before each class. The course
requirements also include active class participation, short presentations, and shortassignments, which will be compiled at the end of the semester to create a final report detailingpolicy recommendations for building inclusive and climate-resilient education systems of a
selected country, taking into account various factors, including but not limited to: patterns ofclimate change (slow and rapid onsets), trends in human mobilities and demography, socialand economic status, national education and/or lifelong learning systems, and infrastructure:
1. Class attendance and active class participation (10%): 80% of the class attendance isrequired. 2% deducted per absence unless pre-approved.
2. Short written assignments (40%): Individual writing assignment (2,500 words max, excl.
references)
3. Final report (30%): Group assignment to write a report for a government of your choice,containing practical and feasible policy measures and recommendations for ensuring
climate-resilient inclusive education systems.
4. Final presentation (20%): Oral presentation of the final report.
Class Participation
The course requires students to attend all classes, to arrive on time, to complete the readings andto participate actively in class discussions. This means speaking during each and every class.
Some sessions may involve interactive discussions with all participants, for which preparationahead of time will be essential. At the discretion of the instructor, frequent late arrivals or
absences may result in a lower grade. Please note that the first session is of particular importanceand cannot be missed. Students are also strongly encouraged to regularly follow the news to keep
up with international developments, as these events will be reflected in the class discussions.
Relevant news sites and reporting archives will be shared by the instructor during the class.
Short Written Assignments
In order to develop a thorough understanding of the unique contexts and constraints faced by
the country they will be researching, students will be asked to write an individual paper on thefollowing topics for the country of their choice:
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I.
II.
III.

General background of the country: Geography, socio-economic context, demography,
and trends in major impacts of climate change, etc.
Diverse scenarios of human mobility in the context of climate change: mobility patterns
induced by slow onsets (sea level rise, desertification, salination, etc.) and sudden
onsets (floods, storms, wildfires, landslides, etc.)
Current issues in education and potential needs in the context of climate justice andfundamental human rights, with specific attention to excluded groups.

Assignments should be no more than 2,500 words, not including a works cited page. Quality
visualizations such as charts and graphs are strongly encouraged. Reference to key policy andstrategic frameworks, data, and existing evidence is recommended. Students are expected toedit the assignments based on instructor and classmates’ feedback, as these may serve as
chapters in the final report.
The document must be in MS format and single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. The
papers must have a title, a proper introduction and conclusion section and all material that isused to support the student’s argument must be clearly cited. For the in-text citations and thebibliography, we suggest that students use APA or Harvard style citations. Be consistent inusing the style once you choose a style.
Final Report:
The final report for the class should be a synthesis report containing a set of recommendations
for a country of the group’s choice, explicitly informed by currently available data. The groups
are encouraged to choose a country from one of the members’ individual assignments (shortassignment) so that the group can build up the final assignment on the findings of the shortassignment.
The requirements of the final report include:• Introduction to Climate Justice and Education Rights within the context of the specificcountry.
Discuss how climate change affects the right to education, particularly focusing on themost vulnerable groups. This can include case studies or examples that highlight
unique challenges and responses. Discuss how climate change has specifically
impacted education and migration in this context.
•

Overview of existing data on human mobility in the context of climate change, including
migration patterns due to environmental factors.
Identify significant gaps in current data, explaining how these gaps hinder effective
policy-making and support for displaced individuals.

•

Application of interdisciplinary methods (such as a combination of sociology,
environmental science, education theory, and public policy) to propose solutions for thechallenges faced by migrants and displaced individuals.
Explain how these approaches can be used to ensure educational access and quality
for these groups in the face of climate change.

•

Specific, data-informed policy recommendations, based on the data analysis andinterdisciplinary approaches.
These recommendations should aim at building climate-resilient and inclusive
education systems, with a focus on lifelong learning opportunities for all, including3

migrants and displaced individuals, aligned with country priorities and strategic
frameworks. As part of the analysis, the analysis can highlight the pros and cons ofvarious policy options, or how these policies can be implemented at various levels(local, national, international) and by different stakeholders (governments, NGOs,
educational institutions, etc.).
The final report should be no more than 4,000 words, not including a works cited page. Quality
visualizations such as charts and graphs are strongly encouraged. The document must be in
MS format and single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font. The papers must have a title,
a proper introduction and policy recommendation section and all material that is used tosupport the student’s argument must be clearly cited. For the in-text citations and thebibliography, we suggest that students use APA style or Harvard style citations.
Final Group Presentation:
Students will have 15-20 minutes to present the group final report, using a PowerPoint orsimilar style of presentation platform. More details will be shared during the course.

Course Outline
LectureTitle
No.
Module 1: INTRODUCTION
1Introduction to the Course:• Course orientation• Definition of climate justice and the right to education• Intersectionality of climate justice and education

Date

Instructors

3 April

Jonghwi Park
(UNU IAS)

2

Legal frameworks and human rights• The Refugee Conventions, Paris Agreement andNansen Initiative• UN agencies and international governance on climatechange, migration and education• Right based approaches

17 April

Himangana
Gupta (UNU
IAS)

3

Global climate movement and the rising focus on climate
justice

24 April(hybrid)Ying-Syuan(Elaine) Huang(Guest lecture,
McGillUniversity)•••

The root causes of climate injustices
The history and politics of climate negotiations andadvocacy
Existing approaches to climate justice: recognitional,
procedural, distributive, and transformative justice

MODULE 2: HUMAN MOBILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE (IOM)
4

Overview• Definition and terminology• Causes and scenarios• Conceptual framework of human mobility inthe context of climate change

4

1 May
(hybrid)

Chris Richter,
IOM Regional
Office for Asiaand the Pacific

5

6

7

Slow and sudden onset processes and events• Disasters and mobility• Climate and environmental change andmobility
Data and methodological issues:• Current data status and issues in tracking
human mobility in the context of climatechangeGoverning human mobility in the context of climatechange• Legal and policy frameworks

8 May

AnupamKhajuria, UNU
IAS

15 May(hybrid)

IOM Regional
Data Hub (TBC)

Overview of SDG4 Quality Education for All• International legal framework on the right toeducation• Right to education in the context of SDG4Education 2030, with a focus on SDG4.7:
targets and current score cards• Particular vulnerability of certain populations
Education in the face of climate change anddisplacement

29 May(hybrid)

Rolla Moumne
and Faryal
Khan, UNESCO

5 June(hybrid)

Rolla Moumne
and Faryal
Khan, UNESCO

12 June(Hybrid)

19 JuneFaryal Khan
and Rolla
Moumne,UNESCOJonghwi Park

26 JuneJonghwi Park

3 JulyAnupamKhajuria, UNU
IASChris Richter,
IOM Regional
Office for Asiaand the Pacific
MODULE 3: EDUCATION AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT (UNESCO and UNU IAS)
8

9

•
•
•

10

11

22 May(hybrid)

Comparing the educational challenges faced byrefugees and climate displaced persons
Main barriers to education induced by climatechange and related displacement
Samples of policy recommendations to address
barriers and challenges

Skills development for climate displaced and affected
people• Needs for reskilling and upskilling• Unique challenges of trapped populations
Innovative learning technologies for EiE• Inclusive design of learning technology

MODULE 4: CLIMATE-RESILIENT EDUCATION (UNU IAS)
12

13

Building climate resilient education systems• Safe Schools• Teachers and curriculum for climate change
education• Climate change literacy• DRR
From learning to mitigate towards learning to adapt toclimate change• Human mobility and climate change adaptation• Why and who should adapt? A historical debatefrom environmental to climate movements

5

•

14

15

The failure of environmental education and theemergence of action-oriented pedagogies forclimate change education

Education in an uncertain future• Complexity thinking: What does a just andsustainable future mean, for whom, and whoshould pay for it?
• Ongoing challenges concerning SDG4:o Growing calls for decolonizing
development educationo The role of Indigenous and local
knowledge in public school systems
o The rise of ecological grief and climate
anxiety among youth• Rethinking the purposes and value of educationand lifelong learning in the face of complex
societal challenges
Final presentation

10 July(hybrid)Ying-Syuan(Elaine) Huang(Guest lecture,
McGillUniversity)

17 July

Course Readings
Each class will have a series of required readings that have to be completed prior to the class. The
average reading load per class period is 40~80 pages. Students are expected to actively
contribute to class discussions based on the material provided. The lecturer reserves the right toupdate the reading list throughout the course and will alert students to the changes in class. The
texts will also be a critical component of the arguments in the course, and the familiarity withmaterial should be demonstrated as it pertains to each assignment. The textbooks used in thecourse are available at the UNU library and relevant chapters can be copied at the designatedcopy machines. If any required readings from academic journals or e-books are added to thecourse, these can be accessed through the public work stations at the UNU library, using yourUNU student login and password. Additional readings from web based content will also be
included.
•••

UNESCO. 2023. Learning at Risk: The Impact of Climate Displacement on the Right to
Education. UNESCO: Paris.
UNU-IAS and UNESCO. 2023. Asia Pacific Regional Synthesis: Climate Change, Displacement,
and the Right to Education.
UK Government Office for Science. 2011. Migration and global environmental change:
future challenges and opportunities

Course Readings by Each Lecture6LectureNo.
1

Recommended Readings
Introduction to the Course• UNESCO. 2020. The Impact of Climate Displacement on the Right to Education:
Working Papers on Education Policy. UNESCO: Paris.

2

Legal frameworks and human rights• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

3

Global climate movement and the rising focus on climate justice• Escobar, A. (2002). The problematization of poverty: The tale of three worlds anddevelopment. In Encountering development: The making and unmaking of the Third
World (Vol. 1) (ch. 2). Princeton University Press.
• Schlosberg, D., & Collins, L. (2014). From environmental to climate justice: Climatechange and the discourse of environmental justice. WIREs: Climate Change, 5(3), 359–
374.
• Roberts, J. T. (2023). Calculating what we owe. Nature Sustainability, 6(9), 1037–
1038. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-023-01142-4
4

Overview of migrants and displacement in the context of climate change•

5

Slow and sudden onset processes and events•

6

Data and methodological issues

7

The ethical dilemmas of data-driven climate actions•

8

Overview of SDG4 Quality Education for All• UNESCO. 2023. SDG 4 Scorecard: Progress Report on National Benchmarks. (up to
pp.25). UNESCO.

9

Education in emergencies (EiE)7• UNICEF. 2023. Children Displaced in a Changing Climate. Chapter 2: Mapping
disaster-related displacement of children (pp.11-14). UNICEF: NY.
10

Skills development for climate migrants and displaced persons•

11

Innovative learning technologies for EiE• Ashlee, A., Clericetti, G., Gladwell, J., Mitchell, J., & Torrance, R. (2020). Education in
emergencies. Rapid evidence review. The EdTech Hub. DOI: 10.5281/
zenodo.4058181

12

Building climate resilient education systems•

13

From learning to mitigate towards learning to adapt to climate change•

14

Education in an uncertain future• Mundy, K., Green, A., Lingard, B. and Verger, A. (2016). Introduction: The globalizationof education policy – Key approaches and debates. In K. Mundy, A. Green, B. Lingard
and A. Verger (eds.) The Handbook of Global Education Policy (pp. 1-20). Wiley
Blackwell. https://doi-org.proxy3.library.mcgill.ca/10.1002/9781118468005.ch0• Jickling, B. (1992). Why I don't want my children to be educated for sustainable
development. The Journal of Environmental Education, 23(4), 5-8.
• Kronlid, D.O., Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2014). Transformative Learning and Individual
Adaptation. In Climate Change Adaptation and Human Capabilities (pp. 75-105).
Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137428042_4

15

Final presentation
N/A

Important Information (Required)
Class Conduct & Etiquette
Students are expected to arrive on time and not to engage in disruptive behavior during class.
This includes, among other things, private side conversations, the use of cell-phones and otherelectronic devices, or the reading of newspapers. Cell-phones should be switched off and stored in
the bag. We wish to create an atmosphere of open and tolerant discussion in the classroom and8request students to recognize every individual’s right to have an opinion. The lecturer and otherstudents should be treated with dignity and respect, in particular in discussions on contentious
political issues where a diversity of opinion is likely to arise. However, we also recognize that
there are limits to tolerance and the lecturer reserves the right to request disciplinary action
against any student who violates this policy or repeatedly shows disruptive behavior in class.
Computer Use in Class
The use of computers (including tablets) in the classroom is restricted to taking notes, reading of
the course material or searching for course related information in the internet. Any disruption of
the class by cell phones, instant messaging programs or other communication devices will not betolerated. The lecturer reserves the right to revoke this permission if a student is found using acomputer for any non-course related activities.
Plagiarism & Academic Misconduct
Please be aware that the consequences of plagiarism are severe and students found guilty ofacademic misconduct will be punished in accordance with UNU’s academic honesty policies. The
lecturer reserves the right to run all assignments through an anti-plagiarism software provided
by the UNU. If evidence of academic misconduct on the assigned presentations, the mid-term
exam or the final essay should be found, the assignment will receive a failing grade. In case of
repeated violations of academic conduct, the student may receive a failing grade for the entire
course and will be reported to the appropriate authorities for disciplinary action.

Invited Speakers/Lecturers Bio (Required)
Irna Senekal (Lecture X)
Director, CIPSET, Nelson Mandela University (South Africa)
Irna Senekal is employed as researcher at the Centre for Integrated Post-school Education
and Training at Nelson Mandela University. As part of the Education Policy Consortium’s
research work, she leads a team of young university and community researchers in exploring
the policy implications of non-formal community education for post-schooling. Formerly she
has worked for and with trade unions, community organisations, NGOs and government toapply her education and experience in contributing to progressive social change.

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