The main objective of JOIN-RISe was to make higher education STEM students develop into citizens that are critical thinkers and are fully committed to the SDGs. In order to achieve this, it was crucial for there to be changes to current curricula and for the SDGs to be included in the teaching of STEM degrees. Evidently, lecturers are key players in meeting the project’s main objective. Therefore, the aim was to make STEM lecturers more aware of global challenges and the need to integrate values and ethics into their teaching to help students develop a sustainable mindset and to use science to do good in society. The SGDs were to be implemented by means of courses, optional subjects, adapting current subject contents by using tools, resources and blended learning methods specifically designed for university degrees. The students are also protagonists on the platform, with courses and subjects developed specifically for them. Additionally, it was intended to provide a database of Service-Learning projects and Bachelor’s and Master’s final dissertations related to SDGs in STEM, which would help students to put their knowledge and social commitment into practice.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is one of the most ambitious and important global agreements in recent history. STEM education is essential for the achievement of the SDGs, but Universities have struggled to introduce SDGs into their regular courses and degrees especially in these STEM subjects due to the lack of both awareness and resources. Moreover, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, education has been transformed. Universities and Higher Education institutions have had to adopt online learning activities. Therefore, there was a need for online training that facilitates students' learning during the different stages of their studies. This methodology makes learning functional and efficient while achieving learning outcomes, increasing students’ interest and their motivation. This can be achieved by implementing life-long learning courses on different topics fundamentally in Blended-Learning environments that allow either a hundred percent virtual, hybrid or in-person learning. This methodology is particularly effective in interuniversity learning. The JOIN-RISe project aimed to revolutionise higher education STEM teaching and learning by designing an innovative virtual blended aimed at students and teachers.