Integration of circular economy principles for developing sustainable development competences in higher education: an analysis of bachelor construction management courses

Abstract

The integration of Circular Economy (CE) principles into higher education programs can be seen as an important step in achieving true sustainability in higher education. Even though the adoption of CE in higher education has improved in recent years, there has been little research about the effective integration of CE principles into academic programs. The aim of this paper is to present an analysis of the redesign and restructuring of an undergraduate construction management course integrated with CE principles as a methodology to impart sustainable development (SD) competencies; this research was done within the framework of the Tec21 educational model that has been in the process of implementation in the Tecnologico of Monterrey university system throughout its 26 campuses in Mexico. Although the new educational model calls for the development of SD competencies, among others, there is no information available on the current status of the integration of CE principles into bachelor-level courses in Construction Management. Therefore, this study contributes to research by providing a detailed analysis and documentation of the design process for the efficient incorporation of CE principles into such a course. The results of the study show that it is necessary to incorporate CE principles into the structure of course content in order to develop the SD competencies that are demanded by industry now and in the future.