Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Education and Approaches".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 24128

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Inês Ribeiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

IDMEC, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649004 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: sustainability; manufacturing; sustainable business models; life cycle assessment; cost modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Tiago Domingos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

MARETEC—Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: ecological economics; dynamic energy budget theory in biological systems; economics; energy and economic growth; sustainable agriculture; thermodynamics; ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Silvia Di Salvatore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

MARETEC—Marine, Environment and Technology Centre, LARSyS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: accessibility of built environment; inclusive cities and communities; sustainability in higher education institutions; urban transformation of historic cities

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The integration of sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), contributing to the achievement of the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, has been the focus of many universities and colleges as they have a key role in transferring knowledge to society, and in the education and shaping of future behavior of their students. This role goes far beyond minimizing the local impacts of HEI campuses. HEIs which include sustainability in their strategy are engaged in integrating sustainable practices in education, research, community outreach, campus operations, networking, staff programs, assessment, and reporting.

This Special Issue welcomes papers covering approaches for sustainability in HEI, strategies for overcoming resistance to change and other challenges, experiences and case studies, new methodologies, assessment methods, and university collaborations and networks. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, several facets of sustainability in HEIs:

Education—Promotion and integration of sustainability contents in the curricula of the degrees, inclusion of sustainability aspects in the projects and thesis developed by students, and identification of these aspects in the existent syllabuses.
Research—Promotion of sustainability driven research projects and their identification, collaboration between departments fostering multidisciplinary teams to respond to local and global sustainability challenges.
Resources (energy, water, waste, air, biodiversity)—Waste reduction and its conscious management in HEIs, improvement of energy efficiency, air quality, and biodiversity within university campuses.
Architecture—Thermal efficiency and comfort of buildings, guidelines to design and transform spaces adapted to new pedagogical models.
Mobility—Promotion to foster more sustainable behaviors, experimentation of new modes of urban mobility and other projects or case studies involving HEIs, communities and municipalities in the process of achieving best practices fostering sustainable mobility.
Social inclusion (accessibility, accommodation and integration of students, equal opportunity)—Promotion of physical, communication, and organizational conditions for the inclusion of students, researchers, staff, and visitors with temporary or permanent special needs.
Wellbeing—Contribution to healthy, safe, and respectable work environments within the HEIs, promoting the wellbeing of all staff, students, and researchers and reducing psychosocial risks.
Communication—Strategies for efficient communication of all suitability actions and projects within HEI, not only increasing their acceptance in the community, but also promoting the participation and involvement of all.
Monitoring, Assessment, and Reporting—Definition of indicators to assess the sustainability of HEIs within the campus and through outreach to society, methodologies for measurement, analysis, and monetarization of all aspects of sustainability within the three pillars of sustainability—environment, society, and economy.
Strategy and Governance—Integration of sustainability in the strategy of HEI and governance solutions to incorporate sustainability in the operational, management, and board structures of HEI.

Prof. Dr. Inês Ribeiro
Dr. Tiago Domingos
Dr. Silvia Di Salvatore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainable development
higher education institutions
environment
society and economy
sustainable practices in education
research
community

Published Papers (8 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 2864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

College Teaching Innovation from the Perspective of Sustainable Development: The Construction and Twelve-Year Practice of the 2P3E4R System

by Na Li, Ping Jiang, Cuihong Li and Wei Wang

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7130; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127130 - 10 Jun 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 1935

Abstract

It is imperative to construct high-level, innovative and challenging courses in the teaching of colleges and universities. It is also of great significance to explore innovative teaching methods for improving students’ learning effect. In this paper, the course “Civil Engineering Construction” of a civil engineering major is taken as a reform example. In this teaching-innovation mode, guided by students’ moral education and students’ achievements, and the course platform is built in order to achieve the education concept of sustainable development and cultivate applied talents who can solve complex problems in civil engineering. In teaching practice, “Dual Platforms”, which combines course teaching platform and virtual simulation platform, is built mainly to expand the learning approaches. The “Three Educations” mode, which combines on-site education, classroom education, and mental health education, is established to improve the comprehensive quality of students. Comprehensive academic evaluation is carried out through “Four Reports”, including an open assignment report, special technical study report, BIM (building information modeling) technical work report, and final comprehensive written test report. Through studying this course, students not only master the knowledge of civil engineering construction, but also acquire knowledge-innovation ability, such as thesis publication, patent writing, discipline competition, and cultivating the craftsman spirit and social responsibility to abide by professional ethics in future work. This teaching innovation mode has been implemented for 12 years and achieved excellent results in cultivating students’ intelligent ability for sustainable development. It has been promoted in 14 courses, and has certain reference significance for engineering-course teaching. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1693 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Solid Waste Management Approach at the University through Living Labs and Communication Strategies: Case Studies in Italy and Portugal

by Silvia Di Salvatore, Giacomo Magatti, Maurizio Acciarri, Massimiliano Rossetti, Leonor Pereira da Costa and Inês Ribeiro

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5240; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095240 - 26 Apr 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2323

Abstract

Universities are today seen as living labs for the creation of knowledge with the aim of transferring it to society. The integration of sustainability is a critical point in this context, as solutions for problems experienced in society can be experimented with regarding physical aspects, such as Solid Waste Management (SWM), and efficiency in energy and water use, but also social aspects such as accessibility, equality, and inclusion. This paper explores the implementation of similar SWM projects in two European universities, Milan-Bicocca University and Instituto Superior Técnico from Lisbon University. Milan-Bicocca was the pioneer project that followed an ambitious model that demanded the removal of all isolated waste bins from inside the offices and rooms, replacing them with waste collection islands in the public spaces. This meant a very coordinated procedure and communication plan, and inspired the pilot project in Instituto Superior Técnico, currently in the expansion phase. This paper describes the implementation of each model and their specificities, and a roadmap is proposed that resulted from the interactions, meetings, and discussions between the two teams, Italian and Portuguese. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Erasmus Staff Mobility in the Building of a European Network: The Case of a Central European University

by Krzysztof Kafarski and Jan K. Kazak

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 4949; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094949 - 20 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2074

Abstract

Globalization now applies to almost all aspects of life, and it also applies to the world of science. Internationalisation and interdisciplinarity are fundamental determinants of modern research and education. The foremost factor of functioning in the international world of science is the mobility of students and scientists. Considering this context, the objective of this study was to analyse the staff mobility for teaching under the Erasmus+ programme at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (UPWr). The research took into account the mobility of staff for teaching (STA) within the period of the academic years from 2009/2010 to 2020/2021. The methodological approach applied in this study is based on the concept of mobility network analysis and mobility flows. The geo-visualization was prepared with the use of a spider diagram. Using this approach, the connections between spatial locations and domains of scientific activity were analysed. The results show that the mobility flow at UPWr rose significantly after the authorities of the university decided to increase the funding for STA, and eventually was slowed down by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the findings in the geographical aspect show that there were two main regions of destination, which were the Iberian Peninsula and the closest neighbouring countries, where the predominant institutions could be observed. The most mobile group of teachers were the ones representing environment sciences. The STA flow is not reflected in the students’ mobility flow. COVID-19 has enhanced the virtual component of learning, resulting in the strengthening of the blended mobility model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 4728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Sustainable Measurements of Academic Research: How Do Faculty Members in Teaching-Oriented Universities of China Evaluate Good Research in Tourism and Hospitality?

by Ting Zhou, Rob Law and Patrick C. Lee

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11129; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011129 - 09 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2158

Abstract

Academic research contributes to the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs) of teaching-oriented universities in many ways, such as providing quality education, promoting the healthy and diverse development of academia, and satisfying the sustainable career development of faculty. In essence, research can facilitate knowledge advancement, dissemination, and innovation, while existing metrics are outcome-based, quantitatively measured, and have methodological and invalidity problems in achieving these orientations. This exploratory study adopted a qualitative research approach guided by constructivist grounded theory to explore the fundamental question of how to evaluate good research in tourism and hospitality. By conducting 32 in-depth interviews with full-time faculty members in 16 teaching-oriented universities in mainland China, the perceptions of good research were captured. The perceived measurements that evaluate good research were interpreted, including counting publications and research projects, citation analysis and peer review, contribution to teaching, contribution to societal service and industrial interaction, and building research teams. Finally, this study provided discussions about the orientations of academic research as well as authorships in research evaluation from the perspective of HEI sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Perception of Social Responsibility Strategy in Higher Education: Empirical Study in Poland

by Małgorzata Kieżel, Paweł Piotrowski and Joanna Wiechoczek

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9417; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169417 - 22 Aug 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2195

Abstract

Today, the role of universities in the education of future managers who promote the principles of social responsibility (SR) and CSR in business practice is pivotal. Properly educated management staff of organizations can disseminate knowledge on this subject and apply its principles in practice. The research scope of the paper is to identify the knowledge and perception of the University Social Responsibility Declaration (Polish national programme in this field, hereinafter called USRD) among the students of the University of Economics in Katowice. The research assumes that most of the students do not have any knowledge about such programs as the USRD, and that despite this, they see the need for implementation of the specific principles of the USRD into university’s activities. Significance of specific principles is associated with students’ sociodemographic and psychographic characteristics. The strongest relation between the perception of the importance of the objectives of USRD and students’ characteristics is observed in the declared extent to which respondents implement the principles of social responsibility in their everyday life, as well as in their age and year of study. The more the students use those principles, the higher they personally rate specific principles of the USRD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Environmental Impact of Mobility in Higher-Education Institutions: The Case of the Ecological Footprint at the University of A Coruña (Spain)

by Jose-Benito Perez-Lopez, Alfonso Orro and Margarita Novales

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6190; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116190 - 31 May 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3070

Abstract

Ecological footprint (EF) determines the area of ecologically productive territory necessary to produce the resources utilised and to assimilate the waste produced by a given population over a year. Knowing your own EF is the first step in planning and implementing policies to reduce it. Considering that transport is a significant component of the impact of human activity on the environment, this study calculates the EF of the CO₂ emissions associated with person mobility (EFM) at the University of A Coruña (UDC). The results presented are based on statistical inference from surveys conducted in 2008, 2016, and 2020. The period 2008–2016 coincides with the effects of the economic crisis, and 2020 with those of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFM of UDC in 2016 was 2177 global hectares (gha), 148 times its biocapacity. Ninety-two percent of it was generated by car trips. Policies to reduce the environmental impact of mobility should focus on reducing car use. This study analyzes various factors of variability. The EFM per capita of the commutes from the place of residence to the UDC campuses grew between 2008 and 2020 by 17%. The results obtained are compared with those of other nearby universities and around the world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 5508 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Towards a Smart & Sustainable Campus: An Application-Oriented Architecture to Streamline Digitization and Strengthen Sustainability in Academia

by Pedro Martins, Sérgio Ivan Lopes, António Miguel Rosado da Cruz and António Curado

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3189; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063189 - 15 Mar 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 3948

Abstract

The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) has been a recurrent view of the physical technological environment, in the light of which it is expected that everyday artifacts are connected, enhancing the availability and ubiquity of “smart” services. Higher education institutions can be seen as a privileged ecosystem for the development of intelligent and smart solutions, due to its dynamic and everyday changing environment, which includes not only physical infrastructures, digital services, but also people, i.e., students, researchers, lecturers, and staff. This work introduces an Application-oriented Architecture-AoA that has been designed to streamline the design and development of “smart” solutions inside the campus, by focusing on the Application side and reshaping the concept of “service” to a piece of “functionality” with a clear and objective purpose, rather than the classic and conventional approach, more focused on the development or technical sides. The proposed approach provides the mechanism to have multiple applications interacting and sharing data and functionalities, ensuring coexistence between new and legacy systems that are in use on the campus, removing the major drawbacks that basic monolithic applications typically require. The generic AoA model is described and the procedure to create a new application is systematized. Lastly, three case studies (RnMonitor, Refill_H2O, and BiRa) are presented end elaborated using the AoA procedure designed to create a new application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

29 pages, 4067 KiB

Open AccessReview

Organizational Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (OLCSA) for a Higher Education Institution as an Organization: A Systematic Review and Bibliometric Analysis

by Wafaurahman Wafa, Amir Hamzah Sharaai, Nitanan Koshy Matthew, Sabrina Abdullah J Ho and Noor Ahmad Akhundzada

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2616; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14052616 - 24 Feb 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3407

Abstract

Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is an approach utilized for products to analyze their sustainability indicators. However, no definite study has determined the sustainability of an organization using the LCA approach. This review focuses on a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of the OLCSA in University. The literature was searched in the Scopus online database considering PRISMA guidelines, and VOSviewer software was used for three types of bibliometric analysis, i.e., co-authorship, co-occurrence, and co-citation were analyzed with their units of analysis. The results show that there is no specific study that has found or assessed the LCSA of an organization. However, 17 articles on O-LCA and 2 on SO-LCA were found, and there were numerous articles available about ELCC in the literature. Researchers mostly used UNEP guidelines for O-LCA, in line with ISO standards. However, they used NPV for E-LCC. Based on VOSviewer software, Matthias Finkbeiner, Forin, Martínez-Blanco Julia, Berger Markus, Lehman, Loss, Manzardo, Scipion, Hall, and Weldu are co-authors. The keyword of “life cycle” was broadly used, and the most cited source was the “International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment”. Adoption of the LCSA framework is recommended for O-LCSA studies to estimate organizations’ sustainability, and to ensure quality education contributing the fourth SDGs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Higher Educational Institutions: Incorporating Environment, Society and Economy Spheres in Education, Research and Campus Life)

► Show Figures