Implementation of Education for Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Engineering Studies

Integration of sustainable development in higher education – a regional initiative in Quebec (Canada)

Criticisms abound regarding the quality and relevance of higher education. Addressing these criticisms requires innovative approaches including Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This chapter examines the contribution of ESD to the quality and relevance of higher education. The chapter explains the concepts of quality, relevance, sustainable development, and education for sustainable development in higher education. Applying the concepts of systems theory and transformative learning, the chapter explores the contribution of ESD to improvement of higher education through strategies that empower learners with higher order skills. Many of the ESD learning outcomes and competences could translate into success in the lives of graduates in the workplace. The challenges to the adoption of ESD in higher education are also discussed.

Criticisms abound regarding the quality and relevance of higher education. Addressing these criticisms requires innovative approaches including Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This chapter examines the contribution of ESD to the quality and relevance of higher education. The chapter explains the concepts of quality, relevance, sustainable development, and education for sustainable development in higher education. Applying the concepts of systems theory and transformative learning, the chapter explores the contribution of ESD to improvement of higher education through strategies that empower learners with higher order skills. Many of the ESD learning outcomes and competences could translate into success in the lives of graduates in the workplace. The challenges to the adoption of ESD in higher education are also discussed.

Fostering the incorporation of sustainable development in higher education. Lessons learned from a change management perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of some major trends that have marked discussions on global learning for sustainable development (GLSD) in higher education. The aim is formulated against the background of the complexity represented in GLSD, as well as the fact that sustainable development (SD) is an issue of global interest for universities.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted an overview in recent trends in research on GLSD in higher education over the last 20 years, based on the combination of the keyword higher education for Sustainable Development with global learning (GL) and global education.FindingsThe overview suggests that only relatively limited steps have been implemented to achieve GLSD, and rhetoric still dominates the discussions. It appears that little empirical research has been undertaken on learning in global settings. Several authors have identified the need for a competence‐based curriculum for GLSD.Originality/valueUniversities, professionals and students need to take greater responsibility. How knowledge, values and abilities are formed and developed from the global learner's perspective therefore, remains an open and fundamental question. The paper underlines the crucial role that higher education plays in GL for sustainability.

Higher educational institutions play an important role in the realization of SDGs as an institution and as a member of a society. San Beda University launched the realignment of its programs and projects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) starting the academic year 2019-2020. An Office was created to oversee the promotion and realization of the SDGs in the University’s programs and projects. This study was conceptualized primarily to look into the extent of implementation, promotion and realization of SDGs in the University’s programs and projects. The University is in infancy stage when it comes to the implementation of SDG. However, at this stage it has demonstrated practices that are aligned with SDGs particularly with SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnership for Goals). But it has to overcome and improve on particularly in the areas of faculty research citation, formulation and implementation of policies and programs on Climate Action (SDG 13), documentation of pertinent information that will demonstrate commitment to reducing inequality (SDG 10), and the documentation of programs and activities that fall under other SDGs.ReferencesAleixo, A.M., Azeiteiro, U. M., & Leal, S. (2018). The implementation of sustainability practices in Portuguese higher education institutions. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(1), 146-178, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2017-0016Alshuwaikhat, H.M. and Abubakar, I. (2008), An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment of the current campus environmental management practices. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16(16), 1777-1785.Amaral, L.P., Martins, N. and Gouveia, J.B. (2015), Quest for a sustainable university: a review. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16, 155-172.Cortese, A.D. (2003). The critical role of higher education in creating a sustainable future. Planning for Higher Education, 31(3), 15-22.Disterheft, A., Caeiro, S., Azeiteiro, U.M. & Filho, W.L. (2013), Sustainability Science and Education for Sustainable Development in Universities: A Way for Transition. In S. Caeiro, W. Leal Filho, C. Jabbour and U.M. Azeiteiro (Eds.) Sustainability Assessment Tools in Higher Education Institutions: Mapping Trends and Good Practices Around the World. Springer International Publishing. 3-28.Findler, F., et. al. (2019). The impacts of higher education institutions on sustainable developments: A review and conceptualization. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 20(1), Emerald Publishing Limited, 1467-6370. https://www.doi.org/10-1108/1JSHE-07-2017-0114.Francis. (2015). Laudato Si. Paulines Publishing House.Gual, C. (2019). Ready to house a real impact on achieving the sustainable development goals (SGDs)? Implementing the 2030 Agenda at the Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Responses. Global University Network for Innovation.Jorgensen, T. (2019). Universities to achieve the SDGs and approach the next hurdle. Implementing the 2030 Agenda at the Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Responses. Barcelona: Global University Network for Innovation.Leal Filho, W., Manolas, E. and Pace, P. (2015), The future we want: Key issues on sustainable development in higher education after Rio and the UN decade of education for sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 16, 112 - 129.Lozano, R. (2011). The state of sustainability reporting in universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 12, 67-78.Lozano-Ros, R. (2003). Sustainable development in higher education. Incorporation, assessment and reporting of sustainable development in higher education institutions, Lund University. National Economic Development Authority. (2019). The 2019 voluntary national review of the Philippines: Review of the status of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals in the Philippines focusing on empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.Sammalisto, K., Sundstrom, A. and Holm, T. (2015). Implementation of sustainability in universities as perceived by faculty and staff e a model from a Swedish university. Journal of Cleaner Production 106, 45-54.Tilbury, D. (2019). Beyond snakes and ladders: Overcoming obstacles to the implementation of SDGs in higher education institutions. Implementing the 2030 Agenda at the Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Responses. Global University Network for Innovation.United Nations. (2020). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020.United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.Velazquez, L., Munguia, N., Platt, A. and Taddei, J. (2006), Sustainable university: what can be the matter?. Journal of Cleaner Production. 14(9 &11), 810-819.Weiyou Xiong and Ka Ho Mok. (2020). Sustainability practices of higher education institutions in Hong Kong: A case study of a sustainable campus consortium. Sustainability 2020, 12, 452; https://www.doi.org//10.3390/su12020452, www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability.

The study aimed to identify the extent of digitization of human resources and its impact in creating sustainable development in higher education in light of the pandemic, as the problem of the study was: Is the reality of digitizing human resources in Saudi universities commensurate with the requirements of sustainable development in light of the environmental threats of the Corona pandemic? The study adopted the descriptive and analytical approach. In addition to the historical curriculum, where the study hypothesis was represented in the existence of a positive statistical relationship between digitizing human resources and enhancing the requirements of sustainable development in higher education in light of the Corona pandemic. The study reached several results, the most important of which are: The study resulted in more than 60% that the university is working to gain a prominent place among educational institutions and achieve sustainable development through building a knowledge society based on the knowledge economy and digitizing human resources. It was also found that 68% of the respondents assert that the university is working to acquire an appropriate technical structure that includes all technical means, and that it is managed by competent and specialized cadres to support digitization in light of the pandemic.

PurposeThe world is shaped by an education system that reinforces unsustainable thinking and practice. Efforts to transform our societies must thus prioritise the education of educators – building their understanding of sustainability and their ability to transform curriculum and wider learning opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to focus on university educators and critically review the professional development and policy landscape challenges that influence their effective engagement with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The paper is informed by a pan-European collaboration involving 33 countries that identified emerging scholarship and practice in this area and assessed the lessons learned from ESD professional development initiatives. It sets the context for a special issue titled “Professional Development in Higher Education for Sustainable Development” that draws together a collection of articles focusing on professional development of university educators across the world.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a critical review of existing practice, international policy frameworks and literature relating to ESD, professional development and higher education. It examines innovative initiatives worldwide that seek to improve the capability of educators in higher education to integrate ESD into academic practice at individual, disciplinary and institutional levels. A rigorous process of selection was applied and overseen by an international expert group. This ensured that the initiatives sought educational change in ESD, and not simply the embedding of content about sustainability into learning opportunities. It also assured that the initiatives had a clear and intentional professional learning process to underpin the engagement of participants with ESD.FindingsESD has grown in visibility and status worldwide, with a clear increase in activity in higher education. The sector is viewed as a significant force for change in societies, through the education provision it offers to future professionals and leaders in all sectors. However, universities currently lack capacity to integrate ESD effectively into mainstream teaching practices and the training they provide for academic staff or to integrate ESD into their institutional teaching and learning priorities. Many ESD activities remain focused on teaching issues arising in sustainable development research and delivering specialist modules or courses in sustainability. Very few countries and institutions have significant staff development programmes to enhance the ESD competences of university educators and build their academic leadership capabilities for ESD. The contributions to this special issue show the need for greater understanding of the multi-level task of integrating ESD into professional development activities, not just for individual impact in the classroom but to advance institutional change and decisively influence the teaching and learning discourse of higher education.Originality/valueThere are few research studies and documented activities on ESD professional development in higher education available in the literature. This paper attempts to explore what ESD professional development involves and describes its complexity within the higher education sector. The special issue provides a collection of innovative research and practical initiatives that can help those involved in education and learning to develop ESD as a priority for future university innovative pathways.

Teacher organisational commitment (TOC) is a key factor influencing teachers' professional stability and teaching quality, and it is important for achieving sustainable development in higher education. However, systematic analyses in this area are insufficient. Therefore, this study adopted the PRISMA framework to conduct a systematic literature review, focusing on empirical studies on the COVID-19 pandemic and its post-epidemic period. Relevant literature was screened from Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley, and ScienceDirect, resulting in 11 peer-reviewed studies from the context of higher education in China, this study aims to explore the mainstream research theories and methodologies on TOC from a Chinese perspective and discuss the different roles TOC has played in various research. Exploring the current state in China, this study enhances the theoretical and practical understanding of TOC and delivers actionable insights for school administrations and policymakers to promote sustainable development in higher education. The study also offers recommendations for future research to investigate TOC in various cultural contexts further, thereby supporting international perspectives.

Emerging areas in research on higher education for sustainable development – management education, sustainable consumption and perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe

PurposeThe need for sustainable development (SD) of higher education (HE) is recognized in the UN 2030 Agenda for SD. Central to the SD of HE is information literacy and information use. This study aims to investigate information literacy, information use and SD of HE in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population for the study was the staff of public higher educational institutions in Southern Nigeria. A self-structured online questionnaire was sent to the respondents via social media. The data generated were analysed using mean, frequency count and percentages.FindingsIt was reflected that information literacy played a significant role in the SD of HE and that the extent of information use was high. It was revealed that the areas of HE that require SD include economic/finance and investment priorities; administration, mission and planning; and research and scholarship.Originality/valueThe study emphasizes that SD of HE in the current educational enterprise requires that people are information literate and information is extensively used.

Higher education (HE) has a very important role in practicing and disseminating issues on sustainable development (SD). In recent decades, universities have competed to implement sustainable development (SD) in their curricula and educational systems. The aim of this study is to assess, through a systematic mapping of scientific literature, the development of research on SD in HE. Using metadata extracted from Scopus, a bibliometric approach was used to map the research literature on SD in HE. In this study, 2834 documents published between 2014 and 2024 were collected from the Scopus database. Citations, co-authorship and co-occurrence were examined using VOSviewer software. Findings indicate that research literature on SD in HE is mainly published in Spain and most citations come from English authors. Sustainable development, higher education and sustainability are common themes in the articles. These findings will be valuable for future research to identify 8 potential research areas of clusters, and develop new issues on SD in HE. Practically, this study provides a relevant literature review on SD in HE that can be used by universities leaders, communities and policy makers to develop a better framework for implementation SD in HE continuously.

Using system dynamics to develop education for sustainable development in higher education with the emphasis on the sustainability competencies of students

Sustainable practices of selected publiclylisted higher educational institutions in ensuring good health and well-being

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze and profile significant national developments in higher education for sustainable development in India and to compare different educational approaches emerging in connection with education for sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachThis is an evaluative review of contrasting initiatives to provide environmental and sustainability education in different institutions, that takes into account philosophy, policy and practice in Indian higher education. Academic programmes, policy statements and education projects are analyzed, to highlight important developments, challenges and the prospects for future progress.FindingsSeveral principles of sustainable development are embedded in India's education policy. It is perhaps the only country where the highest court has mandated environmental education at all levels of formal education, which includes a compulsory undergraduate course. However, the challenges of implementing this requirement effectively are hampered by lack of inter‐disciplinary competence among staff and students, and traditional methods of assessment in HE. India has examples of successful community‐based initiatives but these often have resource implications. Many efforts to develop learning opportunities in this field have emerged primarily from academic and student interests and priorities rather than from formal policy initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper provides an evaluative perspective on the diverse and innovative responses to sustainability emerging in Indian higher education, in curriculum development and to address issues of practice on campus and in local communities. The opportunity to analyse the implementation of a national initiative is unusual, particularly in the distinctive context of India, which has considerable prior engagement with sustainable development at the level of policy and practice.