These presentation slides, developed by Dr Amanda Platt and Colette Murphy (Ulster University) for the Advancing Quality and Leadership in Sustainable Higher Education workshop hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), provide a detailed institutional case study of how Ulster University has systematically embedded Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across all aspects of academic quality and curriculum design.

The slides outline Ulster’s six-year journey, highlighting strategic milestones including the development of the Integrated Curriculum Design Framework (ICDF), alignment with institutional strategies and sector frameworks such as QAA and Advance HE guidance, and successful accreditation under the SOS-UK Responsible Futures programme. They also illustrate how ESD principles have been built into programme approval, staff development, and quality enhancement processes—ensuring sustainability is embedded as a core academic value. The presentation provides an overview of Ulster’s commitment to collaboration, transparency, and evidence-based practice, offering valuable insights for institutions seeking to align ESD with academic standards, curriculum assurance, and sector quality codes.

This resource serves as an exemplar for higher education institutions aiming to integrate sustainability into their academic quality systems and curriculum design processes. It provides a structured, real-world model of how sustained leadership, institutional policy, and partnership approaches can deliver authentic, whole-university engagement with ESD.

Users can draw on this case study to inform local strategies, quality enhancement projects, or curriculum review processes. The slides are particularly valuable for academic leaders, ESD coordinators, and quality teams developing frameworks or training materials to support systematic change.

Reviewing Ulster’s integrated approach can help institutions identify practical pathways for embedding ESD in governance, staff development, and student learning, while maintaining alignment with the Government of Ireland’s ESD to 2030 Strategy and HEA programme objectives for quality and leadership in sustainability.