Introduction

This chapter will examine the role of regional centres of expertise (RCEs) in promoting and delivering change towards sustainability through education and learning. It will take a number of case studies from different global regions and identify some key challenges and opportunities. The central core text for these case studies is provided by one of the very first regions to adopt this RCE model, that of RCE Saskatchewan in Canada, which was started in 2005. Lyle Benko and Roger Petry from RCE Saskatchewan have highlighted a number of key elements and issues for their RCE and have identified some key enabling factors that have led to examples of effective mobilisation. Although every RCE is different in the challenges that they face, as well as in their development and structure, nonetheless, some interesting comparisons can be made with the other two case studies of RCE Greater Sendai in Japan (contributed by Takaaki Koganezawa and Tomonori Ichinose) and RCE Greater Nairobi in Kenya (contributed by Mary Otieno). Each RCE has grown up organically, developed by the various concerned social actors in their regions. They all have different focuses and have responded in different ways to the challenges of their regions. This is an example of a kind of subsidiarity in terms of policymaking and practice in education for sustainable development1 (ESD) and will be considered in relation to their effectiveness as mobilising mechanisms for ESD. Acccording to Professor Hans Van Ginkel, one of the founders of the RCE initiative while Rector of the United Nations University (UNU):

What is a regional centre of expertise?

RCEs were set up to achieve the aspirations of the United Nation's (UN’s) Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), 2005–14. The UNU Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) intends that the network of RCEs around the planet will become part of a global learning space for sustainable development.