5th Yuva Sustainability Conference (Online)

Organised on the occasion of International Youth Day 2026, Mainstreaming Sustainability In Education Ecosystem is an invitation-only leadership dialogue that will bring together a distinguished group of vice-chancellors, principals, industry leaders, sustainability and CSR heads, UN representatives, civil society organisations, policymakers and youth sustainability leaders.

Aligned with the International Youth Day 2026 theme, Different Contexts, Common Aspirations, the dialogue recognises that while educational institutions operate in diverse social, economic and regional contexts, they share a common responsibility to prepare young people to lead sustainable, resilient, and inclusive societies. As nations seek to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), education has emerged as one of the most powerful enablers of climate resilience, responsible citizenship, innovation and equitable development.

India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides a strong foundation for multidisciplinary, experiential and competency-based learning that equips learners to address complex societal and environmental challenges. At the same time, the evolving NAAC quality framework increasingly recognises environmental stewardship, community engagement, institutional values and societal contribution as indicators of educational excellence.
Internationally, leading higher education assessment frameworks similarly evaluate institutions on their sustainability performance, societal impact and contribution to the SDGs, making sustainability central to institutional relevance, global competitiveness and future readiness.

The rapidly evolving sustainability landscape also presents an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry, government, civil society and international organisations. By embedding sustainability across curricula, research, campus operations and community engagement and by integrating climate literacy, green skills, digital innovation and social entrepreneurship into the learning ecosystem, educational institutions can nurture future-ready leaders capable of addressing shared global challenges through locally relevant solutions. Such an approach not only enhances youth employability but also empowers young people to become innovators, changemakers and active contributors to sustainable development.

Reflecting the spirit of global solidarity, shared challenges and youth innovation, the conference will facilitate a high-level exchange of ideas on mainstreaming sustainability across India’s education ecosystem through curriculum transformation, value-added courses, experiential learning, student leadership, interdisciplinary research, industry engagement and cross-sector partnerships. It will provide a platform for institutions to learn from diverse experiences, identify scalable practices and strengthen collective efforts to build resilient, inclusive and future-ready education systems.

The dialogue aims to develop practical institutional pathways for integrating sustainability into higher education while fostering long-term collaboration among educational institutions, industry, government, development partners and civil society. By advancing knowledge exchange, innovation and collective action, the conference seeks to contribute to a shared vision of empowering young people with the knowledge, values, skills and opportunities needed to build a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future.