The Centre for Human Ecology is an independent academic institute, cooperative, charity and network based in Glasgow, Scotland, with an international membership of graduates and fellows. It exists to stimulate and support fundamental change towards ecological and social justice through education, action and research, drawing on a holistic, multidisciplinary understanding of environmental and social systems.
We regularly put on public talks and host popular education discussion sessions on some of the burning issues of our times.
The CHE was founded in 1972 and ran a unique and globally recognised MSc in Human Ecology, produced seminars and conferences featuring leading thinkers and activists and delivered consultancy services to a number of clients and organisations. Today the CHE is moving into a new phase as an emerging centre of excellence, delivering conferences and public events, running short courses and facilitating transformative popular education-building on its tradition as an educational institution rooted in community activism and maintaining academic rigour in its output.
Our aim is to help create responses, informed by the best available research, that address underlying causes of the global environmental and social crises, while encouraging and delivering effective solutions on personal, social and organisational levels. The CHE aims to promote human ecology as a generalist, radical and transdisciplinary tradition in the service of the public good. Its pedagogic ethos, supported by the CHE’s academic board, is strongly influenced by Geddes’ model of head, heart and hand.
There are over 200 CHE graduates and associates that span the globe and are engaged in applied human ecology. The physical Centre, library and hub are located in the hard-pressed community of Govan, Glasgow, where we are committed to addressing the issues of poverty and loss of hope at their root. The CHE is a key partner of Govan Folk University, and sometimes collaborates with other local community organisations.
The Centre, at our AGM in 2015, voted to work towards becoming an education co-operative, and this was achieved in 2018.
Scottish Charity No.SC025702
Company Registered in Scotland No.SC171838
Co-operatives UK member No. M045833
