The article describes the translation processes undertaken by the United Nations in its attempt to design an education program for sustainable development for universities in South Africa. The deliberative translation process is examined in terms of its influence on professional development and professional exchange opportunities for university teachers, which are non-traditional and responsive to diversity, history, context and risk. The article also draws on a model of Latour's actor-network theory to describe and explain the deliberative translation process in the UNEP ESD Innovations Course.