Universities And The Sustainable Development Future

Since the mid-1970s, a series of international declarations that link environment and sustainable development to all aspects of higher learning have been endorsed and signed by universities around the world. Although university involvement in sustainable-development research and outreach has increased substantially, systematic learning from higher-education engagements has been limited. Universities and the Sustainable Development Future offers institutions of higher learning around the world practical guidelines that can be applied contextually to produce credible evidence regarding the outcome and impact of their teaching, research, and transnational-partnering activities. Drawing on innovative applications of lessons from experience with international-development cooperation, this book demonstrates the utility of a flexible framework that will inspire substantial improvements in the ways universities evaluate and improve their sustainable-development undertakings aimed at promoting Agenda 2030. This book promotes an inclusive evaluation framework that will allow universities to illuminate sustainable-development outcomes, and it provides a cutting-edge resource for students, scholars, and policy makers with an interest in sustainable development, climate change, and evaluation challenges.

Since the mid-1970s, a series of international declarations that link environment and sustainable development to all aspects of higher learning have been endorsed and signed by universities around the world. Although university involvement in sustainable-development research and outreach has increased substantially, systematic learning from higher-education engagements has been limited. Universities and the Sustainable Development Future offers institutions of higher learning around the world practical guidelines that can be applied contextually to produce credible evidence regarding the outcome and impact of their teaching, research, and transnational-partnering activities. Drawing on innovative applications of lessons from experience with international-development cooperation, this book demonstrates the utility of a flexible framework that will inspire substantial improvements in the ways universities evaluate and improve their sustainable-development undertakings aimed at promoting Agenda 2030. This book promotes an inclusive evaluation framework that will allow universities to illuminate sustainable-development outcomes, and it provides a cutting-edge resource for students, scholars, and policy makers with an interest in sustainable development, climate change, and evaluation challenges.

The Sustainable University of the Future discusses the rapid changes taking place within institutions of higher education—changes that have pushed universities to reconsider their traditional policies and plans. The book, which has its origins in the Qatar University Annual Research Forum and Exhibition (QUARFE) event “University of the Future” examines the many ways universities are trying to keep pace with this transformation, despite regional and international challenges. The book looks at the role of universities in meeting the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the impact of Industry 4.0, the social aspects of University 4.0, and the future of research-based universities. The need to adopt modern programs and tools is stressed, and ways to anticipate and plan for future challenges are explored.

This book explores the role universities have to play in fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the heart of “sustainable development” is the legacy of unsustainable development with its roots in modernity and colonialism. Critical engagement with the SDGs involves recognising these roots are shared by universities and the reciprocal need for maintenance, repair and regeneration. Universities are not just enablers of change, but also important targets of change. By focusing on the role of education about, for and through the SDGs, the authors seek to advance critical engagement with higher education that is both progressive and meaningful. We are all responsible for bearing witness to our age. This book will appeal to all those who hope that more sustainable future worlds are still possible.

This book fills an important gap in the literature, and presents contributions from scientists and researchers working in the field of sustainable development who have engaged in dynamic approaches to implementing sustainability in higher education. It is widely known that universities are key players in terms of the implementation and further development of sustainability, with some having the potential of acting as “living labs” in this rapidly growing field. Yet there are virtually no publications that explore the living labs concept as it relates to sustainability, and in an integrated manner. The aims of this book, which is an outcome of the “4th World Symposium on Sustainable Development at Universities” (WSSD-U-2018), held in Malaysia in 2018, are as follows: i. to document the experiences of universities from all around the world in curriculum innovation, research, activities and practical projects as they relate to sustainable development at the university level; ii. to disseminate information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of projects, including successful initiatives and good practice; iii. to introduce and discuss methodological approaches and projects that seek to integrate the topic of sustainable development in the curricula of universities; and iv. to promote the scalability of existing and future models from universities as living labs for sustainable development. The papers are innovative, cross-cutting and many reflect practice-based experiences, some of which may be replicable elsewhere. Also, this book, prepared by the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) and the World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre (WSD-RTC), reinforces the role played by universities as living labs for sustainable development.

In order to yield the expected benefits, sustainability initiatives need to be undertaken by means of a close cooperation between universities on the one hand, and societal partners on the others. The principle of co-creation and co-execution of sustainability initiatives increases the value for all by mutual learning, and the sharing of expertise and resources. But pursuing sustainability initiatives with a community and societal involvement is not simple. There is a perceived need for a better understanding of how universities can interact with society, in order to support the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This book is an attempt to address this need, by a novel approach which focuses on current potentials and challenges, across a wide range of fields and expertise. The book focuses on how the theory and practice of sustainable development interact and shows the need for a continuation of the dialogue among sustainability academics and practitioners, so as to address the issues, matters and problems at hand. The spectrum of themes addressed on this book also entails how environmental values and ethics are applied and the relationship between social, biological and cultural diversity. It also includes a broad disciplinary approach to sustainability, including education, research and case studies, and the links with human–environment relations in a sustainable development context.

This collection explores sustainability education in the North American academy. The authors advocate for a more integrated approach to teaching sustainability in order to help students address the most pressing problems of the world, embrace experimentation, and foster more meaningful involvement with the communities in which universities are located. Throughout, they remain focussed on identifying opportunities for sustainability in higher education and suggesting specific strategies and tactics to achieve them. Recommendations include pedagogical and structural changes aimed at helping students understand the systems in which they can advance sustainability. This timely volume will be of interest to scholars, academic leaders, policy makers, societal partners in research, and private-sector leaders interested in advancing the sustainability agenda. Contributors: Apryl Bergstrom, Christopher G. Boone, Ann Dale, Thomas Dietz, Roger Epp, Allison F.W. Goebel, Kourosh Houshmand, Robert H. Jones, Naomi Krogman, Shirley M. Malcom, Robert E. Megginson, Patricia E. (Ellie) Perkins, Vicky J. Sharpe, Toddi A. Steelman

This book looks to cover the issues related to advances in higher education for sustainable development goals. Nowadays, sustainable development is an important concept in higher education. One of the most widely recognized definitions is based in the Brundtland report as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The three core pillars of sustainable development are environment, society and economy. Currently, higher education in the context of sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a great challenge. The information about higher education for sustainable development presents great interest to improve communication between professors, researches and students in universities, institutes, colleges, etc. This research book covers all aspects of higher education for sustainable development goals, namely, no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation, and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions and partnerships.