Transformative education for advancing competencies in planetary health (TEACH) is a cooperation project between the Finnish HEI Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS, Faculty of Health and Well-being,  https://www.tuas.fi/en/about-us/operations-and-organization/health-and-well-being/ ) and the Indonesian HEI Universitas Indonesia (UI, Faculty of Public Health, link: https://scholar.ui.ac.id/en/organisations/faculty-of-public-health/ ). The aim of the project is to incorporate planetary health into master’s level education of the faculties of health and well-being, something that has so far been limited at HEIs in both Finland and in Indonesia. With the improved collaboration that this project provides this mutual need can be jointly answered.

The TEACH project activities combine the development of common study modules for a 4 ECTS master’s level course on planetary health (according to the European Qualifications Framework level 7) with implementation of virtual teaching and curriculum collaboration. In addition, reciprocal short-term student and faculty member (teachers/staff) mobility periods between TUAS and UI will be organized. The faculty members participating in the project will carry the main responsibilities of the planned activities, however, students will be actively involved through the joint development of the study modules and the mobility periods. To foster the development of critical thinking skills and other competencies essential in planetary health and its applications, such as ethical awareness and community empowerment, a transformative education approach will be utilized throughout the project and in the produced modules.

The expected results of the project are: 1) modules produced for a 4 ECTS master’s level planetary health course; 2) incorporation of planetary health into the curricula of TUAS and UI; and 3) increased internationalization of students and faculty members. In addition, the project will provide students and faculty members experiences of working both online and in interdisciplinary and -cultural settings, to practice and develop their English skills as well as to increase their cultural competencies.