Universities can and should be the driving force behind social and technological transformation. They have already gone through several stages of development. The first universities, which emerged in the Middle Ages, the so-called universities 1.0, were closed centers of knowledge, built around religious institutions or individual philosophers. They mainly performed the function of collecting and storing existing worldviews at that time. Over time, such specialized communities became the basis of humanities education. The next stage of university development, version 2.0, can be positioned as a research university, which emerged in the post-industrial society and became a center of technological progress based on research. Version 3.0 can be called an entrepreneurial university, operating "for itself", serving a variety of functions and communities.

Today, new global challenges require the educational sector to step out of its comfort zone and develop new approaches to the training of professional personnel. This is the beginning of the concept of "University 4.0", or "university for others". "University 4.0" accumulates knowledge and ideas and directs them primarily to solving the most pressing challenges in all spheres of life - social, economic, production, and not only today's, but also future ones, which are just beginning to be incorporated into risk metrics. Unlike previous versions, it is not a closed club or a closed research process, but an open, outward-oriented, deeply connected with industry and surrounding communities educational center that strives to serve the needs of society.

Climate change and the associated global warming is one of such risks, the destructive consequences of which society will feel more and more strongly in the long term. Representing a platform for uniting diverse public groups and stakeholders, from student teams to experienced professionals and technology developers - from local private initiatives to large national projects, "University 4.0" can play one of the key roles in solving the problems of climate change and sustainable development, give the necessary impetus and support to society, institutions and initiatives on their way to achieving the SDGs and green transformation.

How can universities become a center of environmental thought in practice? The Roadmap for Education for Sustainable Development, developed by UNESCO, identifies several priority areas of action. First, the development of a specific plan for the implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the university's activities, the establishment of clear deadlines for the implementation of the plan. The plan can be presented in the form of a university's sustainable development strategy or a climate change strategy, as well as in the format of an environmental policy. The document should reflect the university's strategic goals in the field of sustainable development - for example, creating conditions for the comprehensive development of students and teaching them the principles of the SDGs - or it may provide for the introduction of environmental commitments and practical goals. These may include achieving carbon neutrality by a certain year, commitments to introducing waste sorting on the university's territory.

The second priority area identified by UNESCO is the adaptation of the administrative system and culture of educational institutions in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In other words, universities must first of all become a model of environmentally friendly behavior at the internal level and demonstrate this example, work to reduce their own anthropogenic impact on the environment, introduce energy-efficient technologies, and so on. In addition, educational institutions should strive to create favorable, inclusive conditions for climate education for students, work to introduce practices of sustainable development and responsible consumption in their lives. This can be done through the support of student clubs and movements, where students will have the opportunity to implement projects and initiatives aimed at promoting the SDGs and the green economy.

It should not be forgotten that the university remains a center of knowledge, is moving towards interdisciplinarity in research, and influences social and economic development, contributing to the development of new educational programs that meet the challenges of the new time. Such programs allow students to obtain interdisciplinary qualifications in scientific areas that are at the forefront of world science and economics - these are, for example, renewable energy sources and technologies, circular economy. To make the programs as applied as possible, the university also sets trends, develops a clear algorithm for interacting with the outside world, third-party organizations, government agencies, business representatives, and the local community. Thus, universities are becoming one of the key elements of green transformation, a platform for exchange, experimentation, and progress.

Sources:

https://www.thehighereducationreview.com/magazine/university-40-redefining-the-role-of-universities-in-the-modern-era-SUPG758722027.html

https://univ-pau.hal.science/hal-02957371/document

https://unesdoc.unesco.org/in/documentViewer.xhtml?v=2.1.196&id=p::usmarcdef_0000380519&file=/in/rest/annotationSVC/DownloadWatermarkedAttachment/attach_import_17281510-b499-40bb-a879-8e617ec02491%3F_%3D380519eng.pdf&updateUrl=updateUrl9443&ark=/ark:/48223/pf0000380519/PDF/380519eng.pdf.multi&fullScreen=true&locale=ru#1743_21%20EGU2030%20Report%20int.indd%3A.29797%3A204