RCE Rhine-Meuse
2005 -2017
These pages briefly introduce the RCE Rhine-Meuse, one of the by 2017 over 150 regions worldwide acknowledged by United Nations University IAS as
'Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development'.

We present you the RCE's history, the development of the RCE's worldwide in general, the people that with great dedication contributed to it's excistence and succes and a series of highlights so far.

Present day the RCE Rhine-Meuse main challenge and effort, following it's strategic focus on the development of young people to bring near a more sustainable world, is the coordination and expansion of The OPEDUCA  Project. An extended website is available through the menu below.

Following it's strategic course the RCE Rhine-Meuse wil re-position as of mid 2017, follow this site for updates.
Create regional cooperation for Education for Sustainable Development
The RCE Rhine-Meuse is a "Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development". One of 154 RCE's worldwide by 2017 acknowledged by United Nations University IAS.
It's mission is to bring together people and organisations in regional society in order to bring about joint learning processes contributing to a more sustainable world.
Define, Study
and make ESD operational
Together with the other RCEs and a large network of experts from Industry, Universities, Education, Governmental bodies and NGO's, the RCE Rhine-Meuse studies the essentials of Education for Sustainable Development and sees to the ways ESD can be brought to practice. RCE Rhine-Meuse thereby focusses on the development and implementation of ESD in regular education.
Contribute to a local-to-global
learning space
Learning and working towards a more sustainable ecology and society, is most relevant and effective on the local, regional, scale. Parallel to that it is essential to think from the global perspective. Thereto the RCE Rhine-Meuse contributes to and is part of a local-to-global learning space, formed by the global RCE Community and various regions operating other organisational contexts.
The RCE Rhine-Meuse is the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development for the Netherlands and the Euregion combining Netherlands, Belgium and Nordrhein Westfalen (Germany). It has been acknowledged by United Nations University that set out to create regions worldwide where educational institutions, scientific organizations, industry and governments work together for learning in order to bring near a more sustainable future.

The RCE Rhine-Meuse is one of the seven pioneer RCEs worldwide and the first in Europe, spearheading the involvement of pupils and students in ESD amongst the by 2017 154 RCE's worldwide.
In the RCE Rhine-Meuse several universities, municipalities, provinces, ministries, a core group of 20 schools in primary, secondary schools and further education, several leading knowledge institutes and over 40 companies were connected during UNESCO's Decade for Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014 and pooled their resources for innovation through education. Focus points were future relevant learning, connecting education with industry and the upgrade of learners’ competences towards the coming decades’ requirements.
The RCE Rhine-Meuse initiated the “European RCE Association” in which 21 European RCEs have been represented. In the course of the years a range of RCE's in North- Mid- and South America as well as Africa and Asia joined the RCE Rhine-Meuse in its strive to create of global learning space for youth.
The RCE Rhine-Meuse is mentioned as a national key-network for UNESCO, participated in various UNECE initiatives and participatged and led over a dozen EU-funded projects.
On the Dutch national scale the RCE Rhine-Meuse found and operated a strategic cooperation with various Interdepartemental Programs on ESD as well as on Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Education.
The RCE Rhine-Meuse established the 'Leadership Forum for Sustainable Development', bringing together thought-leaders and changemakers on the national level in the Netherlands.
The work and impact of the partners involved in activities through the RCE have been rated by the Dutch government via the National Educational Council as worthy of follow-up and support. It was acknowledged and supported by six Dutch Ministries as of 2009.

The RCE Rhine-Meuse operates in a fascinating cross border region with a challenging multi-cultural population where 3 European languages are spoken daily and citizens of every European country work and study.
The RCE Rhine-Meuse is acknowledged by UNU-IAS, the Institute for Applied Sciences of Unitied Nations University.
Combining its strategic connections in policy-development, industry and education with it's vast reach in society and hands-on educational practice in schools, the RCE Rhine-Meuse is able to connect local action and educational innovation with regional, national and international needs and challenges. For the RCE it is of key importance to see, reflect on and organise changes in education that address key political, knowledge- and labour priorities in a complementary way from an holistic perspective. Thereto the RCE Rhine-Meuse launched The OPEDUCA Project.