Hopes for the Future: Capturing the Perspectives of Students on Higher Education and Sustainable Development in the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

The global community has faced significant challenges in the twenty-first century, such as COVID-19, which have led to uncertainty about the survival of current and future generations. Educating the next generation of employers and leaders is the primary goal of educational institutions, particularly in higher education. Education promotes sustainable development (SD) when learners acquire ethics, abilities, and skills that assist them in affecting positive changes in themselves and their communities. Policies, projects, and investments that benefit society today while protecting the environment, human health, and social well-being in the future are considered SD. This study aimed to develop our understanding of how to promote SD in Pakistani higher education institutions (HEIs) by finding out students’ perceptions about their institutions’ commitment to SDGs and SD. The data for this quantitative-descriptive study were gathered through an online survey. The study involved 1109 students from ten Pakistani HEIs. The study results show that SD has become an essential issue in the present era. In students’ perceptions, HEIs should give more training on sustainable development goals. Furthermore, students’ self-declared statements indicated that most have sustainable habits and behaviors. Students of different genders had different sustainability behaviors and habits. Students are less likely to participate in environmental or higher education organizations supporting sustainable development. HEIs and stakeholders in Pakistan and worldwide are still needed to participate actively and engage in improving education for SD.