Capacity-building for Higher education to Accelerate Next-Generation Education in Planetary Health (CHANGE-PH) (Erasmus + Programme, 2026-2029)
Summary
Planetary health emphasises the interconnectedness and dependency of human life to Earth’s natural systems and, conversely, that the healthy existence of these systems is dependent on anthropogenic behaviours. The accelerated economic and societal growth in the past decades have severely disrupted this balance accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution- leading to profound health and social consequences.
The CHANGE-PH project aims to create, implement, and institutionalise bespoke planetary health education courses in climate vulnerable regions of Nepal and the Philippines by equipping HEIs with structured, solutions-driven curricula. Using a co-design, co-develop and co-deliver approach, the project will actively engage with academia, policymakers, and community participants, to design solutions-focused planetary health curricula content that align with local needs, workforce, and global sustainability priorities. By equipping students and professionals with context-specific knowledge and skills, CHANGE-PH adopts a community-driven approach to develop planetary health course content that is both interdisciplinary and solutions-oriented ensuring real-world societal impact. Through a direct dialogue with diverse stakeholders-including teachers, students, policymakers, community organizations and a range of societal partners- the project identifies local issues and knowledge gaps that must be addressed in planetary health education.
The outputs of the project include a development framework, as well as developing 4 planetary health courses and 4 planetary health teachers specific training courses, using a Open Access digital Knowledge infrastructure and support advocacy for planetary health education.