WIREDGOV

Young people worldwide increasingly want a role in addressing global issues, living sustainable lives and securing future employment. IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, is launching the new BA in Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures to respond to this social need.

The new Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures BA will be led by the faculty’s Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, and it will welcome its first cohort of students in September 2025.

Worldwide, young people express concern about climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental degradation and climate justice and this contributes to feelings of eco-anxiety and affects their mental health. They are interested in advancing ethical AI practices but remain worried about the future of work as technological advances, global conflicts and collapsing ecosystems affect employment.

These concerns have translated into social movements such as Extinction Rebellion and seen huge volumes of people mobilising for climate strikes and other actions demanding change. It has focused attention on what young people’s expectations are from themselves and the societies they live in.  

The Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment is home to specialist research centres such as the Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE). Capitalising on this expertise, this new undergraduate course has been designed to provide a depth of understanding in the field of youth studies with a unique focus on sustainable futures, which is increasingly relevant both nationally and internationally. 

About the programme 

This BA will focus on young people aged 15-24 years old and examine the factors that help them or hinder them from living sustainable lives and securing sustainable futures. With our world-leading, research-active and multidisciplinary programme team, students will learn to critically evaluate theoretical and empirical approaches to youth studies, including through the lens of sustainability and its interplay with the self, others, society and nature.

The programme will consider issues facing youth worldwide and propose innovative and practical solutions while considering sociological, psychological, environmental, political, economic and health-related factors affecting young people. The impact of technology, consumerism and educational transitions are also discussed.

Skills for work in the youth, green and clean sector, NGOs and state-supported services are strengthened through placements and research skills are developed for further advanced study in this field or related disciplines.

Dima Khazem, Programme Leader for the new degree, said:

“We are excited to launch this new degree which will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the International Youth Year (IYY). The programme considers key contemporary issues facing young people and is innovative in its varied pedagogical approaches that suit different types of learners and its focus on employment.

“As a department and faculty, we have a breadth and depth of expertise to offer a truly interdisciplinary programme which will provide young people with soft pathways for developing skills in the youth communication sector, youth state-supported services or youth-related NGOs. Students wishing to progress to academic, practical or policy-making careers in this field, or mature students taking a career break and wanting to improve their understanding in this key area will be supported to do so. Our students’ experiences as youth will be valued and employed and their young voice will be key to enrich learning activities. We are truly excited to meet our first students in the next academic year!”

Prospective students can find out more about this course on the UCL prospectus. Applications for 2025 entry into the course are currently open. 

Related links

• Youth, Society and Sustainable Futures BA 
• UCL Undergraduate Open Days 
• Programme leader Dima Khazem’s UCL profile 
• Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 
• Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE)