EcoCentre to host sustainability leadership program validated by Harvard centre

Smiling headshot of Griffith University EcoCentre Engagement Officer, Mr Dominic Jarvis
Griffith University EcoCentre Engagement Officer, Mr Dominic Jarvis

Australian government, education, industry and business leaders will be among participants in an internationally renowned sustainability program to be hosted by the Griffith University EcoCentre in February 2018.

Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership (EESL) was developed at Harvard University in the US and is a selective, small-class program that helps executives across all sectors to integrate sustainability into their organisations.

EESL Director and Australian expatriate, Ms Leith Sharp (M.Ed), will return to Australia and collaborate with the EcoCentre and peak body Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability to deliver the four-day event in Brisbane.

A former Young Australian of the Year, Ms Sharp was the Founding Director of Harvard’s Office for Sustainability and has spent two decades driving sustainability into the core business of higher education globally.

EcoCentre Engagement Officer, Mr Dominic Jarvis, recently visited Harvard to complete the EESL program and will help with its roll-out at Griffith University.

“It was incredibly eye-opening. Every day I was able to talk about a sustainable future with experts and sustainability leaders from some of the world’s biggest and most influential organisations,” says Dominic, who completed a Master of Environment at Griffith in 2013.

“Leith Sharp is making a real change in the world, and her content and perspectives on sustainability leadership are respected and sought after by leaders across the globe.”

During his time at Harvard, Dominic met representatives from organisations including IBM, Mitsubishi, Deloitte, H&M and New York University.

“You could see with your own eyes, in real time, new collaborations and connections forming, people expanding and developing their sustainability initiatives, and moving their organisation forward,” he says.

EcoCentre Manager Ms Delwyn Langdon says hosting EESL is a coup for Griffith University.

“It will be very exciting to welcome and work with one of the world’s most inspiring sustainability leaders in Leith Sharp, coming from one of the world’s top universities to share her wisdom,” says Ms Langdon.

“Australian leaders rarely get opportunities like this one, and we already have people who are eager to take part.”

Places are limited, so those interested are advised to act quickly to secure their place.

To learn more, email Delwyn Langdon or Dominic Jarvis at [email protected]