Abstract
Sustainable Development (SD) is the universal essentiality of present times, and universities have a critical role in implementing this initiative through their functioning, policies and practices. To integrate SD goals, universities should have a global outlook that is still locally rooted in its strategies. In the last decade, various theories and recommendations have been proposed and adopted globally for integrating sustainability in higher education systems. In India, environmental education has been mandated at all formal levels in the education system. Still, there is a strong argument that it is not simply a matter of overhauling syllabi and curricula. Instead, universities should be incorporating SD goals into their research and their own operations. Our study aims to investigate the sustainability model of Ashoka University (India) that approaches its commitment through sustainability-focused courses, research, and operations. This study involves an in-depth literature review and uses an established framework to assess the condition of the university towards sustainability issues. Our case study employed observations, data collections, document reviews, and interactions with different stakeholders. The study concludes that the university is mostly in adherence with the framework at this stage. Critical areas of future development within the framework are proposed considering the global context. This research serves as an entry point for evaluating sustainability issues of the Indian higher education system, and hopes to motivate higher education communities to do further research to improve their sustainability performance and their role as agents of change.
Highlights
Universities’ role was primarily to educate young minds and offer them ample opportunities to use their potential for their self-growth and well-being.This perception has evolved gradually to include environmental management, public participation, community development and social responsibility in university teaching and research
For its unique governance model, premier global partnerships, distinguished faculty from around the world, innovative pedagogy and curriculum structure, we considered Ashoka University (AU) as a good case study model addressing university sustainability themes in a different way for the Indian higher education sector
The results focus on analysing the adherence between the framework developed by Alshuwaikhat and Abubakar and the efforts made by AU on addressing the issues related to sustainability
Summary
Universities’ role was primarily to educate young minds and offer them ample opportunities to use their potential for their self-growth and well-being. This perception has evolved gradually to include environmental management, public participation, community development and social responsibility in university teaching and research. According to Velazquez et al [2], higher education institutes (HEIs) should promote minimisation of negative environmental, economic, societal, and health effects generated to fulfil its teaching, research, outreach, and partnership functions. Sustainability in educational institutions goes beyond environmental concerns and focuses on addressing social and economic challenges. There is a growing demand to include complex social issues such as racism, inequality, and poverty as part of universities’
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