Sustainability Literacy with Sulitest

JGU is the first Indian university to launch TASK by Sulitest: A cutting-edge sustainability literacy certification in line with the UN SDGs

The Sustainability Literacy Test, known as Sulitest in short, was recognized as one of the first initiatives presented at the UN Partnerships for Sustainable Development Goals; and in 2017, recognized as a contributor to the revision of the UN 2030 Agenda at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF). Suliest has been declared the “TOEFL for Sustainable Development” as it allows students to understand and demonstrate their knowledge of sustainability with an internationally recognised certification.

The Sulitest aims to develop the knowledge and skills in sustainable development of all current and future economic and political decision-makers, to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the major challenges of the 21st century and of their responsibility in addressing them. By participating, students at JSES will not only be showcasing their commitment to sustainable education but also benchmarking their knowledge against global standards.

With the launch of The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (or TASK) – the first international certificate of sustainability knowledge – in 2023, Sulitest aimed to create a lever for systemic change that will make the understanding of sustainability a common language for all. The scope of TASK is informed by Sulitest’s model of sustainability knowledge, in which it is stated that all individuals should know and understand the planetary boundaries (earth system), the main foundations of human welfare, and the multiple interlinkages existing between these dimensions.

By design, TASK aims to be consistent with existing frameworks in the field of education for sustainability, such as the UNESCO SDG education learning objectives, the European GreenComp sustainability competency framework or the reference framework of the report led by Jean Jouzel for the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation “Raising Awareness and Training for the Challenges of the Ecological Transition in Higher Education”. The Stockholm Institute’s Planetary Boundaries, as well as Kate Raworth’s “Doughnut Economics” model also serve as key references for the assessment’s knowledge model.

TASK pilot launch with JSES

We launched our first assessment session with the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability to offer the TASK (The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge) by Sulitest across three batches. Students from the first and second years appeared in the test as per mandatory requirement for the course on Energy & Environment, Planetary Boundaries and Sustainable Development Goals taught by Professor Dr. Abhiroop Chowdhury.  We also opened the opportunity for other interested students on a voluntary basis. The strongest domain stood out to be Governance, while the strongest topic under any domain emerged to be Infrastructure, Planning, and Natural Resource Management.