Sustainable University for Regional Development: Quality Management Model that Integrates Employer and Social Partner Attitudes

Abstract

Sustainable development, promoting responsible, environmentally friendly conduct and formation of ecological culture is one of the universities’ priorities in the 21th century. The position of the universities is to ensure that new knowledge and technologies serve to improvement of environmental well-being. This paper presents a model of how university quality management system integrates the key elements of sustainable university to support regional development. A special emphasis is given to employer and social partner’s attitudes and how they recognize the impact of university activities on regional and national development. The model is based on the experience of Kaunas University of Technology in improving its performance in the area of sustainability. The University has understood the importance to reorganize University’s activities and strengthen the cooperation with partners for the unity of economic, environmental, social and cultural objectives and values, to identify the most important development issues of the region and country. The University emphasizes the necessity to constantly develop a systematic education and consulting for companies, organizations and business, and to support activities within the University that are responsive to the problems of sustainable development of the region and country including quality of life. Finally, some specific recommendations on how universities can increase the effect of regional development via involvement of their faculties, students and staff in sustainable development programmes and processes are outlined.