Week 6 Reflection – Universities and the Soul of Sustainability

 

This week focused on the role of universities in the sustainable development agenda. Honestly, at first it felt like another one of those big topics that sounds good on paper but gets lost in practicality when it comes to real life.

But what stood out to me was how the session kept bringing it back to something deeper as to how education isn't just about qualifications. It's about nurturing the soul too. Not just producing workers for industries, but shaping people who care enough to change the world responsibly.

The way Prof. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas' philosophy was tied in was something I quietly appreciated. The idea that knowledge has to come with purpose, with adab, with responsibility to Allah and humanity are all not new to me, but it felt like a reminder I needed. We've gotten so used to seeing education as a checklist: grades, internships, LinkedIn updates. But what about building character? What about actually thinking critically and leading with wisdom, not just ambition?

The slides also brought up how universities should collaborate beyond just academia, connecting with communities, addressing real issues, not just sitting in a glass tower of research papers nobody reads. That hit home. It made me wonder how much of what we study will actually matter to people who need solutions the most.

Post-COVID realities were also mentioned, the fact that education had to change, adapt, rethink its entire way of doing things. And honestly, that shift felt overdue. The idea of  education without soul  is still lingering around, but there’s also this opening now. A chance to rebuild it better, to centre humanity and humility instead of just industrial efficiency.

If anything, this week reminded me that sustainable development isn't just about fixing the outside world. It’s about fixing the inner world first. Building people who are capable, but also conscious. Knowledgeable, but also kind. Skilled, but still humble.

And maybe... that’s the sustainability we’re actually missing.