Ellen Vandenplas holds a master's degree in educational sciences. Between 2017 and 2024 Ellen coordinated pilot trajectories with educational programmes and faculties at Ghent University to integrate sustainability in education. Since august 2019 she is affiliated as a doctoral researcher. Her PHD focus on the existential dimension of climate change education and the didactic approach of the teacher in eliciting and handling the existential concerns of students. Moreover, she is interested in bridging the often-perceived gap between didactic research and the educational practice of learning for sustainable development (ESD) and therefore always searching to what extent ESD can ‘grow’ and ‘flourish’ in the educational practice of a university based on research insights. Previously she worked for Ecocampus – the Sustainable Higher Education Program - of the Flemish government where she supported universities and colleges to integrate sustainable development into their education, research and social services. She started her career as a project coordinator for the Center for Nature and Environmental Education.
