Sustainability science emerged as a new academic field to address complex sustainability challenges. To train sustainability experts, sustainability science programs and sustainability-focused courses are offered in higher education, especially at the graduate level. Given the diverse topics and the complex structures of sustainability challenges, what are the required knowledge and skills needed for sustainability experts? Although the earlier literature identified key features and competencies, empirical studies on how educational programs in sustainability science provide the necessary training are still scarce. This study addresses this gap by illustrating how a field-based course can contribute in developing core skills for fostering sustainability experts through a case study of field-based course called Global Field Exercise (GFE) in the Graduate Program in Sustainability Science-Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI) at The University of Tokyo. Literature review on the competencies in sustainability science suggests a three-way typology of descriptive-analytical skills, solution-oriented skills, and attitudinal skills. A group of students joined a GFE unit in Akita, Japan, and set "local food and place attachment" as the topic for their fieldwork. The participants conducted semi-structured interviews to three generational groups to illustrate the different perceptions of local food and places. The alternative mechanism of knowledge transmission across generations by local festivals and school events was found. The authors observed the implemented field-based course provided unique learning opportunities to acquire: (i) the ability to perform key competencies collectively instead of individually; (ii) an interdisciplinary-mindset to acknowledge multiple views to topics during group discussions among researchers; (iii) a transdisciplinary-mindset to communicate research outputs with local residents in a communicable way; (iv) the ability to be empathetic to people's experiences when addressing normative dimensions of sustainability. Although different sets of competencies and approaches for fostering sustainability experts have been studied widely, the field-based approach plays an important role in developing transdisciplinary, interpersonal, and normative competences.

Young people are an asset to Pakistan, and they can play a vital role in the country's social and economic development. Non-formal education to promote volunteering activity in Pakistan can endorse the professional and social integration of the young labor force by preparing them with the labor's contemporary skills. The current study is an attempt to explore the situation in Pakistan and identify: (a) if non-formal education plays a role in youth's engagement in volunteering activity; (b) why young people volunteer; (c) what they can learn through volunteering; (d) the significant barriers which can prevent them from volunteering even after getting the training and opportunities to volunteer. Data was collected using purposive sampling from 4 different nonprofit organizations (NPOs), with city offices in three major cities of Pakistan. NPOs, on their end, collected the data form the youth volunteers working with them randomly using an online survey. The research findings revealed that non-formal education plays a significant role in ensuring young people's engagement in volunteering activity. The findings and recommendations from the study can guide youth initiatives and policies in Pakistan to include systematic and consistent non-formal education programs to promote youth volunteerism in Pakistan.

The current research explores the transformative potential of Design Thinking (DT) pedagogy in Higher Sustainability Education (HSE) in a hybrid (mix of online and face-to-face) setting. The case study examined a Field Exercise in Sustainability Science (FESS) course, using DT pedagogy, in a HSE program at a university in Japan. The critical transformative learning experiences (i.e., signs of transformative learning) were captured to investigate whether DT pedagogy has allowed learners to challenge their perspectives and go through the transformative learning experience. The qualitative case study captures the critical transformative learning experiences by collecting students’ perspectives through semi-structured interviews, reflections, and class observations. As a result, the research successfully captured the signs of transformative learning, where each student went through multidimensional and embodied transformative experiences. Furthermore, the results show how DT as a pedagogy can support transformative learning in HSE by encouraging disorienting dilemmas, promoting reflection and discourse, fostering relationships, providing context, and offering an engaging experience. DT as a pedagogy can bring transformative learning into practice in HSE, and it can be implemented effectively using a digital or hybrid learning approach without a need for complex structural changes. The paper can provide concrete lessons for practice and curriculum development to bring transformative learning into digital teaching practice in HSE.