Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education Institutions: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are important actors in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. As agents of knowledge, HEIs maintain a critical role in contributing to a socially fair, economically viable, and environmentally protected world. This study aimed to understand how SDGs and the 2030 Agenda are being incorporated into HEIs around the world. We conducted a systematic review of the literature and analyzed experiences developed by the HEIs across different fields of activity (teaching, research, outreach, and management) related to the SDGs. Forty-five articles with empirical cases were selected from the Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) databases, and the International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) website. Focusing on scientific production analysis, we examined the evolution of the number of publications, the countries of origin of publications, the most cited journals and articles, as well as other characteristics related to the experience of implementing SDGs reported by the institution. In addition to these analyses, a set of initiatives developed by the HEIs was systematized that can be understood as good practices for implementing the SDGs. We provide a discussion of the main barriers that hinder the integration of HEIs with sustainable development guidelines. These elements were structured in such a way to best understand the impact on the various organizational levels in universities. The results indicate the need to align strategic planning with all hierarchical levels of an institution in order to best inform higher management's decision-making.