Time2act.SD

27/11/2025

The 3 pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic.
How Circular Ecology approaches sustainable development:

What is sustainability, what is sustainable development and how do you define sustainability? Find out about the definition of sustainability and the definition of sustainable development.

03/11/2025

Celebrating Our Time2Act@SD Partners and Institutions at ICONSUS2025

One of the strongest pillars of ICONSUS2025 is the TIME2ACT@SD project and the network of partners who make it possible. Their expertise, creativity and commitment have been essential to the design of MOOCs, webinars, research initiatives and innovative learning tools showcased at our conference.

We proudly recognise and thank the following partners for their contribution to Time2Act@SD and for representing their institutions with excellence:
- Instituto Politécnico de Santarém (Portugal): Susana Leal; Sandra Oliveira; Cláudio Barradas; Ana Loureiro; Inês Messias
- UCLan Cyprus – University of Central Lancashire Cyprus (Cyprus): Andriani Piki; Nicos Kasenides; Louis Nisiotis; Polycarpou; Nearchos Paspallis; Josephina Antoniou; Fanos Tekelas
- Rosto Solidário ONGD (Portugal): Paulo Costa; Catarina Gonçalves
- Galileo International (Italy): Tito Livio Mongelli; Pierangelo Verbicaro; Elisabetta Focaracci
- Thomas More-hogeschool (Belgium): Joke Simons; Xander Michiels
- Gazi Üniversitesi (Turkey): Alper Güzel; Adem Tekerek; Büşra Duygu Çelik
- Learnmera – Learn & Love Languages (Finland): Veronica Gelfgren; Eric Gelfgren; Nuno Monteiro

Through their collective work — across universities, research centres and organisations in several countries — these partners are driving forward a new vision of sustainability in higher education.

We are deeply grateful for your dedication and for bringing your institutional experience and commitment to this collaborative journey.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://lnkd.in/dTJC_y3d), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

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02/11/2025

Behind the Scenes: Thanking the ICONSUS2025 Team

A heartfelt thank you to the outstanding student team from Escola Superior de Gestão e Tecnologia de Santarém, to Adriano Cruz (IT Support) and Silvio Duque (Graphic Designer) for their exceptional logistical and organisational support throughout ICONSUS2025.

Your professionalism and dedication ensured a seamless and memorable conference experience for all participants, from registration to hybrid sessions and technical support.

Students team: Ana Mafalda Cruz, Ana Rita Barreto, Carlos Sousa, Carolina Mateus, Dora Salvador, Inês Dias, Inês Gonçalves, Joana Carreira, Ondina Santos, Patrícia Carvalho and Pedro Guedes.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the TIME2ACT@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

01/11/2025

Thanking Our Session Moderators and Time2Act@SD Partners at ICONSUS2025
Behind every insightful presentation and dynamic discussion at ICONSUS2025 stood two essential pillars of our success:
our session moderators and our Time2Act@SD project partners.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the moderators of the parallel sessions for their professionalism, energy and commitment to creating a welcoming and stimulating environment for presenters and attendees alike.

Your role was essential in guiding debates, ensuring smooth transitions and weaving together the contributions of over 70 papers presented onsite and online.
We also sincerely thank all our Time2Act@SD partners for their dedication, expertise and collaboration.

Your joint efforts in designing MOOCs, webinars, research and innovative learning tools have been fundamental to making ICONSUS2025 a truly international platform for advancing sustainability in higher education.

Together, you amplified the impact of our conference and strengthened its global network of scholars and practitioners.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

31/10/2025

Celebrating our Global Community: ICONSUS2025 Participants Appreciation
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who made ICONSUS2025 an outstanding success. Together we created a truly global platform for sustainability in higher education:
✔ 3 internationally renowned keynote speakers
✔ Over 150 registered participants
✔ 70 onsite attendees in Santarém
✔ 70 papers presented onsite or online
✔ Participants from 19 countries

Your active engagement, knowledge sharing and networking transformed ICONSUS2025 into a vibrant international forum for action and collaboration on sustainability in higher education.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

30/10/2025

Showcasing Impact: Time2Act@SD Project Posters at ICONSUS2025
At ICONSUS2025, we proudly showcased a rich portfolio of Time2Act@SD Project Posters, illustrating innovative ways to embed sustainability into teaching, learning and institutional practice:
• Identifying Knowledge and Competency Gaps in Sustainable Development: Insights From Higher Education Students and Teachers in Europe
• Time2Act@SD: Webinars for a Sustainable and Inclusive Europe
• Design and Development of MOOC about Social, Environmental and Economic Sustainability for Higher Education
• Time2Act@SD MOOC for Environmental Sustainability
• Time2Act@SD MOOC for Social Sustainability
• Time2Act@SD MOOC for Economic Sustainability
• Sustainable Futures: A Gamified Virtual Reality Journey through the SDGs
• Changing Attitudes Through Play: A Web and Mobile Game for Sustainability Education in Higher Education

These posters highlight how MOOCs, webinars, gamification and innovative learning experiences are transforming higher education into a powerful engine for sustainability.

Authors (alphabetical order):
Adem Tekerek; Akanksha Maurya; Alper Güzel; Ana Loureiro; Antri Nikolaou; Andriani Piki; Büşra Duygu Çelik; Catarina Gonçalves; Cláudio Barradas; Corrado Carrubba; Eleana Savva; Elisabetta Focaracci; Georgios Lazari; Inês Messias; João Nascimento; Joke Simons; Luis C. Barradas; Marios Philippou; Morfi Chrystala; Nicos Kasenides; Nicola Moscheni; Nisiotis Louis; Nuno Monteiro; Panayiotis Theodorou; Paolo Bartolozzi; Paulo Costa; Pierangelo Verbicaro; Sandra Oliveira; Semiha Güngör; Susana Leal; Tito Livio Mongelli; Veronica Gelfgren; Xander Michiels.

A heartfelt thank you to all authors for advancing sustainability education and sharing your work with the ICONSUS2025 community.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

29/10/2025

Celebrating Research Excellence: Best Paper & Best Poster Awards at ICONSUS2025

At the Closing Ceremony of ICONSUS2025, held at the School of Management and Technology of Santarém Polytechnic University, we had the pleasure of recognising outstanding contributions to sustainability in higher education.

🏆 Best Paper Presentation Award
“When people are in the heart of business, performance follows: Unveiling the impact of Sustainable Human Resource Management on workers’ performance”
Authored by Daniel Gomes, Neuza Ribeiro, Gabriela Gomes and Khalid Usman

🏆 Best Poster Award
“Artificial intelligence for sustainable and inclusive education in Moroccan universities: challenges and opportunities”
Authored by Sophia Rais and Sanae El Maliki.

The awards were presented by Alper Güzel and Veronica Gelfgren, highlighting the highest-quality research presented at the conference — innovative, rigorous and impactful studies advancing the integration of sustainability into teaching, research, operations and community engagement.

We warmly congratulate all awardees and thank every paper and poster presenter for enriching the scientific discussions at ICONSUS2025.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

28/10/2025

Shaping the Future of Sustainable Higher Education: Prof. Luiz Moutinho’s Keynote at ICONSUS2025

We were honoured to host Professor Luiz Moutinho – Professor of Marketing at the University of Suffolk (UK) and Visiting Professor at several leading universities worldwide – as keynote speaker at ICONSUS2025.

His keynote “FUTURATES Future-Forward Sustain+HE” presented an innovative framework for envisioning and implementing future-forward strategies for sustainability in higher education. Drawing on his extensive research in future studies and strategic marketing, Prof. Moutinho explored:
• How FUTURATES integrates foresight, scenario planning and innovation to anticipate and shape the future of higher education institutions;
• The role of behavioural and technological drivers in accelerating sustainable transformations on campus and in curricula;
• How leaders can create “future-ready” institutions by embedding sustainability values into decision-making, teaching, research and community engagement;
• Practical tools to help universities move beyond incremental change and embrace bold, systemic shifts towards sustainability.
Moderated by Andriani Piki and Ana Loureiro, this keynote offered participants a forward-looking roadmap to Future-Forward Sustain+HE.
We thank Prof. Moutinho for inspiring the ICONSUS2025 community to think and act beyond the present and for sharing concrete strategies to prepare higher education for a sustainable future.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

27/10/2025

Advancing the SDGs: Peter Wollaert’s Keynote at ICONSUS2025

We were delighted to host Mr. Peter Wollaert – United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Fellow & Director of CIFAL Flanders, Chairman of the UN Association Belgium Flanders – as keynote speaker at ICONSUS2025.
His keynote “Agenda 2030 and its 17 SDGs: a Global Framework and Moral Compass for Just Transition Policy Making and (Project) Management in Higher Education Institutions” explored:
• The UN Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a holistic framework and “moral compass” for higher education policy and project management;
• Practical examples from the CIFAL Flanders on how to “become SDG-proof” and avoid greenwashing, including multi-level transition teams, stakeholder engagement and SDG self-assessment tools;
• Links to ethical governance (SDG 16), the Inner Development Goals and the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings;
• Concrete steps for embedding the SDGs holistically into university strategy, operations, teaching and outreach.

Moderated by Tito Livio Mongelli and Eric Gelfgren, this keynote combined high-level UN experience with actionable insights for higher education worldwide.

As a memorable gesture, Mr. Wollaert presented the official SDG Flag to the Escola Superior de Gestão e Tecnologia de Santarém, symbolising the shared commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
We thank Dr. Wollaert for inspiring participants to accelerate the integration of the SDGs in higher education and for his generous gift to ESGTS.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the TIME2ACT@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

25/10/2025

ICONSUS 2025 - Keynote Speaker Sessions #1

We were honoured to welcome Dr. João Eustachio – Director of the Sustainable Development Research and Practice Division at the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management Research and Transfer Centre (FTZ-NK), Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany, Visiting Professor at the University of São Paulo (Brazil) – as our opening keynote speaker at ICONSUS2025.

His keynote “Sustainability Leadership in the Context of Higher Education Institutions” drew on several large-scale international studies and addressed:

The conceptual foundations and research landscape of sustainability leadership (Eustachio et al. 2022/2023);

How social innovation and transformational leadership can support sustainability implementation in teaching;

The leadership role of PRME Business Schools in advancing responsible management education worldwide;

How formal, non-formal and informal learning experiences contribute to building sustainability competencies among students;

Lessons learned and teaching–learning strategies for moving from teacher-centred to student-centred approaches in higher education.

Moderated by Sandra Oliveira and Cláudio Barradas, this session challenged participants to think about leadership as the driver of systemic change in universities.

We thank Dr. Eustachio for inspiring all of us to accelerate the transformation of higher education towards a sustainable future.

ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

25/10/2025

ICONSUS2025 Inaugural Session
We opened ICONSUS2025 – International Conference on Sustainability: Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Future (11–12 September, Santarém, Portugal) with an inspiring Inaugural Session at the School of Management and Technology, Santarém Polytechnic University.
Thank you to all who set the stage for two days of dialogue and innovation:
• Susana Leal (Conference Chair) – Welcome & Time2Act@SD presentation
• Sérgio Cardoso – Director of the School of Management and Technology of Santarém
• Marisa Correia – Coordinator of CIEQV – Life Quality Research Centre
• JoãoMoutão – President of Santarém Polytechnic University
• Sandra Oliveira, Andriani Piki, Joke Simons, Alper Güzel, Tito Livio Mongeli, Paulo Costa, Veronica Gelfgren – Time2Act@SD Partners’ Presentation
ICONSUS2025 was developed within the scope of the Time2Act@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt/), co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).

08/10/2025

Time2Act brings sustainability and technology to the European Researchers’ Night 2025 in Santarém

The Time2Act project took part in the European Researchers’ Night 2025, held in Santarém on 27 September, bringing science, technology, and sustainability closer to young visitors. During the event, children had the opportunity to learn more about the project’s objectives and activities while exploring some of its outcomes in a playful and interactive way.

Among the main attractions were the 3D game EccoWarrior and a Virtual Reality game, both developed within the scope of Time2Act and focused on the theme of sustainability. These educational tools captured the curiosity and enthusiasm of the young participants, raising awareness of the importance of protecting the planet through technology and scientific knowledge.

Time2Act’s participation in this initiative highlights the project’s commitment to education for sustainability, technological innovation, and community engagement in building a more sustainable future.

The TIME2ACT@SD project (https://time2act.ipsantarem.pt), is co-funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme (Ref. 2022-1-PT01-KA220-HED-000087984).