This study investigates the educational potential of combining urban sustainability pedagogy with problem-based learning (PBL) and study abroad programs to foster integrated, interdisciplinary, and action-oriented learning experiences.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays an important role in addressing today’s urban challenges, including rapid urbanization, resource limitations, and inadequate planning that leads to highly vulnerable communities. The urban dimension is not a given. Its relevance comes from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the specific goal number 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Seeking solutions to build-up the resilience of both urban communities and infrastructures is the key towards more sustainable living.

In this context, preparing undergraduate students with the skills to analyze and develop urban resilience solutions requires an educational approach that is both interdisciplinary and action-oriented. To do so, learning environments must incorporate complex, integrated, problem-based, and hands-on approaches. Moreover, study abroad programs provide a unique opportunity for experiential learning, as students engage with real-world challenges in unfamiliar cultural contexts, enhancing their critical competencies in urban sustainability.

PBL aligns well with the interconnected and solution-oriented nature of the SDGs and the connected urban sustainability topics, enabling students to systematically identify and analyze problems, gather and synthesize information, collaborate on developing solutions, and reflect on broader implications. By combining PBL with study abroad experiences, students gain exposure to real-world challenges and diverse stakeholder perspectives while engaging with local communities.

This research examines the adoption of PBL as a student-centered methodology within the Global Pillars initiative piloted by IES Abroad. Through group-based problem formulation, analysis, investigation and resolution, students explore complex urban sustainability issues while immersed in a study abroad environment. The study aims to assess both students' and instructors' perceptions of the effectiveness and challenges of integrating urban sustainability education with PBL.

This study employs a descriptive analysis based on self-administered questionnaires distributed to students who attended at least half of their course between January and March 2025 at one of the IES Abroad campuses. A parallel questionnaire was administered to faculty members involved in the project to further explore their perceptions and the challenges arising from the intersection of PBL, urban sustainability, and study abroad.

Findings from this research provide insights into how PBL enhances urban sustainability competencies in international education settings. They highlight how, by leveraging students’ immersion in city environments, the PBL approach strengthens understanding of urban sustainability issues while cultivating innovation and problem-solving skills. Embracing pedagogical models like PBL in global, collaborative contexts is essential to preparing future generations to address complex urban challenges.

Keywords: Problem-based learning, sustainability, inquiry-based learning, study abroad.