Optimizing Higher Education for Sustainable Development through the Design and Implementation of the Global Engagement Program

Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a significant role in the environmental, economic, social and cultural spheres and is a key element in achieving sustainable development goals. Higher education institutions, as the main producers of future leaders, are essential to the practice of ESD. However, Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD) is still in its infancy in many higher education institutions. This study adopts corpus-based text analysis and case study methods. Starting from the features of ESD and examining the case of the “Global Engagement Program”, this paper aims to explore how higher education can better promote sustainable development within the framework of ESD and proposes the model of HESD. Specifically, this study focuses on the following questions: (1) what are the features of ESD based on UNESCO’s official documents; (2) how does the Global Engagement Program seek to achieve HESD and (3) what is the proposed model of HESD?

1. Introduction

Sustainable development (SD) has been a major global concern for decades. As a key means to achieve SD, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has received increasing international attention in recent years. Environmental education, which was introduced at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, served as the precursor of ESD [1]. In the 1980s and 1990s, the United Nations shifted its discourse from environmental education to ESD. The concept of ESD first appeared in the Brundtland Report in 1987 and was formally included in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 in 1992, which stated that education, public awareness and training are essential means to achieve progress towards sustainable development [2]. In 2015, the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched, and ESD was included, specifically reflected in target 4.7 of SDG 4: by 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development [3]. Based on the existing literature (see Section 2 for details) and analysis of UNESCO’s official documents (see Section 3 for details), this article defines ESD as a series of educational projects carried out for the realization of sustainable development of human beings, including knowledge and skills related to sustainable development, as well as education aimed at improving the ability of individuals to learn, create and develop in a sustainable way.

Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD) is widely recognized as an essential means of promoting and supporting a sustainable future. This recognition has been captured in numerous declarations, such as the Halifax, Talloires, Tbilisi and Kyoto declarations [4]. For individuals, higher education is the last formal stage of education, allowing them to enhance their knowledge and skills required for SD and improve their capacity for sustainable learning. For society, higher education is an important symbol of social progress since higher education institutions (HEIs) generate new knowledge and train future leaders [5]. Higher education is also an important base for scientific research. Compared to all other levels of education, higher education has a stronger scientific research character than any other level, which can help HEIs to continuously improve the quality of ESD through the integration of scientific research and education.

This study will first explore the features of ESD based on UNESCO’s official documents using qualitative and quantitative methods. The Global Engagement Program will then be used as a case example, combining theory and practice to discuss how this program promotes ESD in higher education and may provide relevant experience for other HEIs. Finally, a model for HESD will be outlined. This study focuses mainly on the following questions:

(1) What are the features of ESD based on UNESCO’s official documents; (2) how does the Global Engagement Program seek to achieve HESD and (3) what is the proposed model of HESD?

2. Literature Review

The concept of sustainable development emerged in the 1980s due to increasing economic and population pressures, environmental degradation and resource depletion. The Brundtland Report’s definition of sustainable development, which states that “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [6] (p. 41), is now widely accepted. In 2000, the United Nations Millennium Development Summit adopted a “United Nations Millennium Declaration” aimed at addressing extreme poverty, hunger, disease, death, illiteracy and environmental degradation and promoting global sustainable development [7]. In 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit adopted the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These SDGs build on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and aim to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere [8].

The sustainable development of the global economy and society calls for the practice of Education for Sustainable Development. Many studies have shown that ESD is one of the key factors in achieving sustainable development [9,10]. ESD is one of the important means to make people understand and participate in the realization of sustainable development. Research on Education for Sustainable Development has focused on the following areas: first, research focuses on the macro level. Such research tends to focus on national-level actions, such as policy introduction, etc. Wang (2017) summarized the policy orientation and practical characteristics of ESD in Germany [11]. Fredriksson (2020) compared the implementation of ESD in Sweden and Japan and found that, in Sweden, ESD is often used as part of the guiding principles of education, while, in Japan, it is emphasized to integrate ESD into subject teaching outlines [12]. Second, it focuses on implementation at the micro level, exploring how ESD can be integrated into certain disciplines, fields or educational levels. For example, Cheng and Nie (2021) proposed that young children have enough experience in terms of learning the concept of sustainable development, and early childhood education is also an indispensable part of the ESD [13]. Guo et al. (2022) pointed out that ESD is an important choice for improvement in quality of engineering education, analyzing the demand for engineering science and technology talents that empower ESD [14]. In addition, a small number of studies have specifically discussed the definition of ESD, and such studies are usually early in the emergence of ESD.

Higher Education for Sustainable Development belongs to the second research category that focuses on the practice and application of ESD and explores the link between higher education and ESD. Some researchers pay attention to the competencies fostered by HESD. Although there is still no international consensus on the most important key competencies, related papers provide directions for HEIs to implement ESD. Wiek et al. (2011) used a literature method to conclude that the key competencies fostered by HESD include systems thinking competence, anticipatory competence, normative competence, strategic competence and interpersonal competence [15]. Rieckmann (2012) used the Delfi method to identify twelve key competencies that are critical for sustainability, of which the most relevant are systemic thinking, anticipatory thinking and critical thinking [16]. Brundiers et al. (2021) critically reviewed the framework of key competencies in sustainability by Wiek et al. [15] and proposed two additional key competencies, intrapersonal and implementation competencies [17].

In addition, there is no lack of research on the specific practice of HESD, which focuses on how to promote SD through curriculum and teaching innovation in higher education. Kagawa (2007) used an online questionnaire to understand university student perceptions, understanding and attitudes towards SD and relevant concepts and issues and, based on this, proposed improvements to university courses on sustainability. One of the suggestions is to pay attention to the combination of theory and practice, recognizing and re-examining the importance of lectures [18]. Lozano (2010) reviewed 5800 course descriptions from Cardiff University, focusing on the adoption and dissemination of SD in courses. He put forward suggestions for HESD curriculum, pointing out that the concept of sustainable development as a whole should be integrated into multiple disciplines [19]. Ter Horst and Pearce (2010) emphasized the importance of foreign languages in multidisciplinary learning, which helps to develop students’ understanding of HESD-related concepts and greater participation in the global community [20]. Ahel and Lingenau (2019) discussed the opportunities and challenges of digitalization to improve access to HESD and pointed out that digitalization could be the key to enlarge the scale of students obtaining access to ESD in HEIs [21]. There are also studies using the method of case study. Jones et al. (2008) explored the perceptions of academics and students towards embedding ESD into undergraduate degree programs in the School for Earth, Ocean and Environmental Science at the University of Plymouth [22]. Novo-Corti et al. (2018) discussed how economics courses offered at higher education institutions can influence sustainable development [23].

The existing literature serves as the theoretical foundation for this paper. Based on the review, several key points can be summarized regarding the implementation of HESD. In terms of teaching content, many researchers have emphasized the importance of inter-disciplinarity. HESD should include all SD-related dimensions and integrate science and social science as much as possible. Additionally, foreign languages should not be overlooked as they provide further opportunities. Regarding teaching forms, the focus is to explore and enrich teaching forms beyond the curriculum and to combine theory with practice. This is also the result of HESD’s complex competency requirements for students. The role of extracurricular activities, such as lectures, needs to be re-examined since they provide more possibilities for enriching teaching content and cultivating the competencies needed for a sustainable future.

Despite extensive research on HESD, gaps still exist. Most research is highly practice-oriented, with limited focus on the concept of ESD and how it links to official documents published by UNESCO, the leading institution for ESD implementation. Case studies primarily concentrate on individual subjects within universities, specifically examining the relationship between the curriculum and HESD. Few comprehensive university-wide cases provide reference for the implementation of HESD. As a result, this article seeks to combine qualitative and quantitative analysis, using a significant amount of UNESCO’s official documents and a university-wide case to explore the implementation of HESD.

3. Materials and Methods

This study adopts corpus-based text analysis and case study methods to investigate HESD. Text analysis, especially the analysis of official documents, occupies a unique place in social science research. Text analysis can be divided into three types: the pure quantitative analysis of text, the qualitative analysis of text and the combined analysis, which includes both quantitative description and qualitative interpretation and even prediction. Whether it is the description, interpretation or prediction of the text, as an interdisciplinary research method, textual analysis helps to reveal the value conveyed in the text through the explicit discourse of the text and is a process of abstracting the general from the specific [24,25]. This study will adopt the corpus-based text analysis method, which is a comprehensive analysis method that combines both quantitative and qualitative analysis, to better understand the features of ESD. The case study method is an in-depth and comprehensive on-site investigation of a complex social reality [26] and is an empirical research method. This study examines the case of the Global Engagement Program, discusses how it seeks to realize the idea of HESD and proposes suggestions.

The research material comprises two parts. The first part consists of all 709 official English-language texts related to ESD in the Digital Library of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) [27] as of the end of 2022. As an international organization promoting international cooperation among countries in the fields of education, science and culture [28], UNESCO has always been an important participant in ESD and a leading institution for the implementation of ESD at the global level. These texts provide a comprehensive view of ESD issues and trends and will serve as the basis for discussing the features of ESD and proposing an implementation model. The second part comprises all materials related to the case study of the Global Engagement Program at the selected university, including the university’s official website, the program’s training plans from the past five years, 577 social media postings on the official program account and other related news reports. These materials will be used for the case study of HESD.

4. Concept and Text Analysis

The promotion of ESD can be divided into four stages since its conception in 1972 [29]. The first stage, the embryonic stage before 2004, marked the gradual emergence of the concept of ESD, with no official document guiding its implementation at the global level. The second stage, from 2005 to 2014, saw the launch of the “United Nations Decade Plan for Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Decade Plan”). The third stage, from 2015 to 2019, saw the proposal of the “Global Plan of Action for Education for Sustainable Development (2015–2019)” (hereinafter referred to as the “GAP Plan”) as a follow-up to the “Decade Plan”. The final stage is from 2020 to the present. UNESCO launched “Education for Sustainable Development 2030” (hereinafter referred to as “ESD for 2030”) in 2020 as a follow-up to the “GAP Plan” and in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is the current implementation scheme of ESD.

This section will focus on the first research question, discussing the features of ESD based on UNESCO’s documents. Indeed, 85 texts from the first stage, 192 texts from the second, 158 texts from the third and 46 texts from the fourth stage of ESD were collected from the UNESCO Digital Library and imported into the corpus retrieval software AntConc to form four corpora. Keyword searches were performed on the corpora in different time periods, and 50 substantial keywords with the highest keyness of each corpus were selected to form keyword lists (see Figure 1 for the keyword cloud diagrams of each stage). High-frequency phrase collocations for each keyword were also searched and recorded. Keywords that were new to each stage and that had a significant increase or decrease in keyness compared to the previous stage were identified. Based on the search results of the four corpora, the features of ESD based on UNESCO’s official documents were summarized.

4.1. Connotation and the Core of ESD

The connotation of ESD has undergone certain changes over time, but environmental education remains at its core. Environmental issues have been strongly associated with ESD before the publication of the first programmatic document of ESD. Words related to the environment, such as environment and environmental, occupy a higher position in the keyword list in the first stage. In tracing the history of ESD, “ESD for 2030” clearly states that environmental education can be considered as the predecessor of ESD [30]. After formally proposing ESD, the “Decade Plan” emphasized the three dimensions of society, environment and economy: “This educational effort will encourage changes in behavior that will create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society for present and future generations” [31] (p. 6). In the “GAP Plan” and “ESD for 2030”, a cultural dimension was added, which is reflected in statements such as “to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, while respecting cultural diversity” [32] (p. 12).

It is undeniable that the environmental dimension occupies a very important position in the connotation of ESD and is at the core of ESD. Looking at the keyword lists of the four stages, environmental issues have undergone a transition from general to specific. In the second stage, climate change and water resources issues became key areas of concern, specifically manifested in the emergence of keywords such as climate (with climate change, climate change education, etc.), water (with water resources, water management, water education, etc.) and the decline in keywords such as environment. Similarly, biodiversity (with biodiversity conservation, biodiversity loss and biodiversity education, etc.) received attention in the third phase. Among them, climate change and education related to climate change have been key issues in the environmental dimension since it began to emerge.

4.2. ESD and Other Education-Related Concepts

ESD has complex relationships, such as intersectionality and inclusion with other education-related concepts. When talking about ESD, it should not be viewed as an isolated concept. Concepts such as education equity, lifelong learning and global citizenship education (GCED) are inseparable from ESD. Taking education equity as an example, education is viewed as a key agent of change and empowerment in the promotion of human rights and necessary to promote equity, inclusion and equality [33]. ESD will not be able to fulfill the important role of education if it only benefits the privileged and widens educational inequalities. ESD has always paid attention to minority and marginalized groups. Geographically, Africa, Asia and especially the Asia-Pacific region have received attention. For example, ESD supports innovative solutions for sustainable development in the context of Africa’s needs and opportunities [30]. The UNESCO online training activity “Sustainable Development Begins with Teachers” (SST) is a regional capacity building program for teachers and educators on ESD. The project has been implemented in 11 African countries since 2019. In terms of gender issues, the word gender (with gender equality, gender inequality and gender parity) appears in the keyword list of the third phase. Gender issues have also become a main focus of ESD. Related texts refer to the need for girls and women to be fully involved in decision making, policy making and program design related to ESD, and emphasize that ESD should empower all gender groups in explaining the social dimension to achieve a just society [34].

Moreover, the lifelong learning concept showed a high keyness in the second stage, and it is now widely recognized that ESD is a process of lifelong learning [29]. Phrases such as global citizenship, global education, etc., occupy higher positions in the second- and third-stage keyword lists, which place strong emphasis on global citizenship education. Now, ESD and GCED are both important parts of SDG 4.7 to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills for sustainable development [30]. Such phenomena show that ESD is not isolated.

4.3. ESD and Its Sustainability

The concept of ESD evolves with the times. It is constantly updated, supplemented and perfected over time. With the acceleration of the globalization process, the international exchange of ESD has become more frequent, which is reflected in the rise in keywords such as global and international. With the arrival of big data, the Internet and big data technology have experienced rapid development. E-learning has become an important means of ESD and has become a new raised keyword in the second stage. With the outbreak of the global epidemic in 2020, traditional education has been hit hard [35]. The word COVID (with COVID-19 pandemic) immediately appeared in the keyword list of the fourth stage. Today, the reform of ESD in the post-epidemic era still deserves the attention of educators. Such changes fully demonstrate that ESD is evolving to keep up with the times.

The sustainability of ESD is also reflected in the increasing emphasis on monitoring and evaluation of ESD, which can help to improve ESD. In the early days of ESD, especially in the first and second phases, the focus was often more on the ideas of ESD and detailed suggestions about its goals and implementation strategies. In the keyword list of the third stage, words such as monitoring appear. During this period, the implementation of the GAP Plan was regularly monitored at the global level with monitoring indicators such as the increase in the number of countries that have integrated ESD into education and sustainable development policies and strategies, the increase in the number of teacher education and training institutions that have integrated ESD into their programs, etc. At the same time, national governments have been encouraged to monitor the implementation of ESD at the national level with the help of National Focal Points [32]. Words such as evaluation appear in the fourth keyword list. In addition to the regular monitoring of the implementation of ESD, an evaluation report will also be systematically issued during this period. Implementation at the global level will continue to be monitored by UNESCO, and it is planned to publish a mid-term evaluation report in 2025, a final evaluation report in 2030, and other relevant evaluation reports from time to time. Monitoring indicators have been further improved, including six dimensions of policy, learning environment, educators, youth, community and progress of national initiatives. National-level actions to improve monitoring are also encouraged [30]. Countries are recommended to formulate national-level monitoring indicators and monitoring plans, conduct regular national-level monitoring and evaluation and report to UNESCO.

5. Case Study—Global Engagement Program

5.1. Introduction of the Global Engagement Program

International talent training programs generally focus on cultivating students with foreign language competency and knowledge of international aspects of academic fields. These programs can also be an innovative means to promote sustainable development. This article examines the case of the “Global Engagement Program” (GEP), which was established in 2015 and has subsequently also influenced the conceptualization and development of similar programs within China. The GEP aims to train students to become ‘composite talents’ with an international perspective, intercultural communication skills, strong thinking and innovation ability, foreign language proficiency and knowledge of an academic discipline. The program seeks to cultivate lifelong learners who can contribute to building a sustainable society.

In September 2015, the GEP was officially launched by establishing the first GEP Honors Class of students. In 2018, the GEP expanded with the establishment of the GEP Minor Program, which is available to both undergraduate and graduate students. During the same year, the GEP launched its first specialized graduate degree with the establishment of the GEP Master’s Degree in ‘International Organization and International Exchange’. The GEP is thus China’s first ESD system that covers a full range of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students of different disciplines. The current three GEP programs—Honors Class, Minor Program, and Master’s Degree—each have their own specific academic requirements and a duration of four years, two years and 2.5 years, respectively.

5.2. GEP and HESD

Since the launch of the GEP in 2015, its training framework has been continuously improved, and a framework of multidisciplinary integration, four-class combination and partnerships and collaboration has been gradually formed. The GEP teaches students the concept of sustainable development, provides students with the interdisciplinary knowledge necessary for sustainable development and enhances students’ global competence (see Figure 2 for the training framework of the GEP). This subsection focuses on the second research question and discusses in detail how the GEP implements HESD based on its framework. Taking into account the results of textual analysis, an evaluation and a summary of the GEP will be carried out as well. In the end, suggestions will be provided for the future development of the GEP.

5.2.1. Multidisciplinary Integration

Multidisciplinary integration corresponds to the ideas of ESD. ESD, as proposed by UNESCO, is a multi-dimensional concept that includes environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions. This determines that HESD should not be a single discipline. The existing literature has also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary education in HESD [19]. Multidisciplinary integration is embodied in two aspects. Firstly, the GEP integrates students from different disciplines by providing a platform for them to communicate and learn from each other. As a comprehensive university with numerous academic disciplines, the GEP recruits students from various majors, disciplines and levels of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. As of 31 December 2022, the GEP has trained a total of 786 students from 63 undergraduate majors in arts, science, engineering, agriculture and medicine, as well as 117 secondary disciplines, covering undergraduate, master and doctoral levels. This includes 465 undergraduate students, 264 master’s degree students and 57 doctoral students. Secondly, the GEP integrates knowledge and skills from different disciplines by teaching the concept of SD and providing interdisciplinary knowledge to students from various disciplines. Through participation in the GEP, students can better combine their professional knowledge and skills with the SD concept as well as other interdisciplinary knowledge.

5.2.2. Four-Class Combination

The GEP employs a unique approach to HESD through the combination of four types of classes. It is an innovative training concept that combines a university curriculum with scientific research training, social practice, internships, etc. It integrates education in and out of class, inside and outside the school and at home and abroad.

Curriculum teaching is viewed as the first type of class in the traditional sense, and it plays a significant role in HESD, as demonstrated by the existing literature [18,19]. The GEP course content closely follows the ESD connotation proposed by UNESCO and incorporates interdisciplinary features. While the curricula for students at different levels, namely the Honors Class, the Minor Program and the Master’s Degree, differ slightly (see

Table 1. Examples of course schedules.

	Courses
Honors Class	International Relations and International Law United Nations Sustainable Development Goals International Political Theory History of Cultural Exchange between China and the West
Minor Program	Technology and Global Economic Development Development Economics Non-traditional Security Research on International Conflict Hot Spots
Master’s Degree	Youth Leadership Development and the Sustainable Development Goals Cyber Security Research Cross-Cultural and National Area Studies Language Policy and Language Planning

for examples of course schedules), each reflects the same features. First, the courses incorporate the concept of sustainable development, as evidenced by classes such as “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” for the Honors Class and “Youth Leadership Development and Sustainable Development Goals” for the Master’s Degree. These courses cover hot topics in sustainable development and help students understand the historical background and progress of SDGs, allowing for a better understanding of the implications of sustainable development. In addition, the curriculum covers a broad range of fields. For example, “International Relations and International Law”, “Development Economics” and “Non-Traditional Security” cover the disciplines of law, economics and public administration, respectively. The courses span a variety of topics and provide exposure to important issues in sustainable development, such as ethics, culture and philosophy.

Extracurricular activities serve as the second type of class on campus. HESD’s requirements of complex competencies for students as outlined in the existing literature [15,16,17] rely on various forms of extracurricular activities. The GEP employs teaching methods that extend beyond the curriculum, utilizing lectures, forums, competitions and other events. Instructors include university faculty, off-campus teachers, international teachers and staff from international organizations. As of December 2022, the GEP has conducted nearly two-hundred lectures, four National Talent Competitions and four Global Governance Forums. The second type of class is committed to the transfer of the SD concept and interdisciplinary knowledge, as well as the development of students’ global competence. Taking the series of lectures and forums held by the GEP in 2022 as an example, the GEP held nearly 40 lectures on Sustainable Development Series, Global Governance Series and Global Competence Improvement Series (see

Table 2. Examples of GEP lectures.

	Courses
Sustainable Development Series	Simplicity and Reality: the Theory and Practice of Water Markets Challenges and Progress in achieving SDG 1 and 2 in Zimbabwe The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Education for Sustainable Development
Global Governance Series	Social Security Issues in the Asia-Pacific Region During the Pandemic World Health Organization in Global Health Governance The Global History Method from the Perspective of Regional and National Studies
Global Competency Series	Opportunities and Contributions of Youth in Global Sustainable Development and South–South Cooperation Intercultural Communication and Exchange International Multilateral Negotiation: Theory and Practice

for examples of lectures offered by the GEP in 2022).

The third and fourth types of classes for the GEP refer to internship and joint training, respectively. Current research suggests that integrating theory and practice is crucial for implementing HESD [18]. The GEP has signed cooperation agreements with many international organizations to provide students with internship opportunities that help them learn through practice. Some scholars have highlighted the importance of students’ language ability [20]. To address this, the GEP also cooperates with many internationally renowned universities to jointly cultivate interdisciplinary talents needed for a sustainable future.

5.2.3. Partnership and Collaboration

Open collaboration provides strong support for the GEP to promote sustainable development. It is reflected in UNESCO’s guidance documents that, as a global-level initiative led by UNESCO, ESD advocates for and relies on the cooperation of all actors [30,31,32,36,37]. The GEP’s cooperation network covers both international and national levels, mainly including international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and UNESCO, world-renowned universities and foreign-related departments of national ministries and commissions. Partners provide students with practical platforms, organize activities with the university (e.g., United Nations Youth Summer Camp, National Model United Nations Conference, UNITAR Summer Online Course, etc.) or conduct joint training with the university. The partnership network not only ensures teaching and learning in the four classrooms but also enriches the form and content of teaching and learning. Within the framework of the GEP, the university and its partners jointly train the people needed for a sustainable future and implement the HESD in a variety of ways.

5.2.4. Sustainability of the GEP

The sustainability of ESD is a crucial issue for ESD, as was noted in the text analysis in Section 4. The sustainability of the GEP is the guarantee that the program will achieve HESD for a long time. The GEP regularly collects feedback questionnaires for continuous improvement. Additionally, since HEIs are different from other educational institutions in that they have the characteristics of strong scientific research, they have more possibilities and opportunities to conduct research on ESD. Under the GEP, the university has actively promoted the construction and development of curricula and teaching materials relevant to sustainable development, established research groups and built think tanks. The university has compiled and published 10 series of books, which provide experience for other universities to consider in their implementation of ESD.

5.2.5. Summary

In general, the GEP meets the needs of the ESD concept proposed in various policy texts of UNESCO and complies with the requirements for HESD proposed by existing research. The program combines academic education with extracurricular education and actively cooperates with organizations and institutions at home and abroad to train people needed for a sustainable society through knowledge sharing and practical training. First, the GEP is organized around the four dimensions of ESD. It integrates relevant knowledge and skills in the areas of environment, economy, society and culture into teaching and learning in four classrooms. Second, the GEP actively links ESD with educational equity, lifelong learning, SDGs and other relevant educational concepts to educate students. It recruits students from all disciplines, majors and grades across the university. At the same time, through the participation of the GEP, the comprehensive ability of students is improved, which contributes to the realization of lifelong education. Third, the GEP pays attention to the sustainability of the project itself. It constantly improves its education system by integrating science and education.

From April to June 2021, a comprehensive evaluation of the GEP was conducted via structured interviews. A total of 60 students who participated in the GEP were sampled in consideration of variables such as discipline, grade level and gender to ensure maximal group coverage. The interview comprised two parts, namely program satisfaction evaluation and self-evaluation. Program satisfaction evaluation was assessed through four main dimensions: curriculum design, extracurricular activities, internships and international exchange. The self-evaluation was assessed through three dimensions of understanding of SD, interdisciplinary ability and other competencies. Overall, the participants provided positive feedback on the GEP program satisfaction, with the satisfaction rate the highest for course design. Participants noted that they acquired a deeper understanding of the concept of sustainable development, with an overall improvement in interdisciplinary abilities and competencies such as strategic ability and systematic thinking. Specifically, participants acknowledged that the GEP helped them recognize that sustainable development extends beyond environmental issues, with poverty, hunger, health and quality education as other key dimensions. The GEP participants are now actively engaging in high-level professional competitions, international internships, volunteer services and international events, which indicates the achievements of the program.

The implementation framework of the GEP is still being improved. This study proposes suggestions for further upgrading the GEP in the following aspects. First, it is recommended to add content related to digital technology and skills. Digitization is an essential trend for the advancement of ESD with the times. Digitalization does not only refer to the digitalization of educational tools but also to the new requirements for people in the digital age. In the present and the future, students’ digital literacy is bound to be one of the key skills to promote sustainable development. In addition, the GEP will be more effective if there is a more complete monitoring and evaluation system. It is recommended to combine the subjective feedback with objective information, such as students’ competency assessment results and future job, to form evaluation indicators.

6. Model of Higher Education for Sustainable Development

Based on the case of the GEP, the results of the text analysis and the existing literature, this section seeks to answer the third research question and proposes a concise and practical implementation model of HESD (see Figure 3 for the model of HESD). HESD should focus on the academic curriculum combined with a variety of extracurricular activities to cultivate and improve students’ interdisciplinary competence, sustainable learning capability and global competence. It is preferable that the collaborative network includes local, national, regional and global partnerships. This section will explain the implementation focus of the model from the four points of course content, education forms, cooperation partners and students’ ability.

To implement the model, HEIs should primarily enrich course content. The curriculum is fundamental for the “well-being and effectiveness of higher education” [38]. HEIs should teach the concept of sustainable development through various courses. The connotation of ESD and SD is complex and dynamic, from the initial environmental issues to the present four dimensions of social, environmental, economic and cultural issues. However, environmental education is the undisputed focus of ESD. The complexity of the problem and the limitations in traditional disciplinary methods in responding to global crises [39] have prompted ESD to enrich curriculum content and create innovative mechanisms for disciplinary integration so that students can better understand and address the issues at hand. Curriculum content can focus mainly on the four dimensions. In addition, given the current advocacy for the integration of ESD and the 17 SDGs, HEIs can also consider adding the relevant content of the 17 SDGs to the curriculum.

HEIs should enrich the forms of teaching and learning for implementing ESD. While the curriculum is the most basic element of education, the implementation of ESD by HEIs should not be limited to the curriculum. Recently, extracurricular activities (ECA) have received increasing attention from scholars and educators [40]. ECA are defined as voluntary activities that take place outside the classroom, which complement curricular training and contribute to the personal, professional and social development of students [41]. HEIs need to actively explore and enrich forms of teaching and learning to implement ESD and lay the foundation for the all-round improvement in student capabilities.

HEIs should also prioritize developing cooperation partners. Partnership and cooperation are crucial for the common future of humanity [42]. HEIs are the main implementers of ESD, but institutions should actively cooperate with organizations and institutions at local, national, regional and global levels, including other HEIs, enterprises and international organizations. UNESCO has always paid attention to the building of partner networks in promoting the implementation of ESD at the global level, holding regular global conferences and advocating for the establishment of partnerships and cooperation at the national level [37]. Building and strengthening HESD cooperation networks at all levels will enable higher education institutions to actively and diversely participate in HESD.

Finally, HEIs should focus on enriching the abilities of students. The promotion of sustainable development through higher education should be student-centered and cultivate sustainable individuals who are adaptable and able to contribute to a sustainable future. This can be achieved through several key competencies. The first is interdisciplinary competence. HESD should focus on cultivating talents with multidisciplinary knowledge and skills. The problem of sustainable development is not only highly comprehensive, complex and diverse but also faces moral, cultural and social challenges [43,44,45]. Traditional single disciplines have found it difficult to solve these problems. The second is global competence. Sustainable development is a common goal of humanity [6] that transcends individual countries and institutions. As international exchanges become more frequent, global competence has become an increasingly important skill [46]. Students need to improve their language skills, cultural sensitivity and global vision in order to adapt to and cope with different cultural and social environments. The last is the capacity for sustainable learning. Education for Sustainable Development advocates for learning to learn, learning to innovate and learning to develop independently. HEIs should aim to educate students to be lifelong learners who can adapt to a rapidly changing world. By doing so, students continue to contribute to sustainable development throughout their lives.

7. Conclusions

Education for Sustainable Development is a crucial tool for achieving sustainable development, and higher education, as the last stage of education before an individual enters society and as an important symbol of the social progress of a country or region, is a key element of ESD. In this context, it is essential to re-examine the role of higher education and its positioning in promoting sustainable development. How can higher education effectively promote the harmonious development of society, economy, environment and culture, and contribute to sustainable development? This study examines the features of ESD through text analysis, explores how higher education promotes sustainable development within the framework of ESD using a typical “Global Engagement Program” as a case study and proposes a model of HESD.

Based on UNESCO’s official documents, corpus-based text analysis reveals that ESD has three features. First, the connotation of ESD has been constantly enriched. Initially focused on environmental education, ESD has since evolved to encompass the four pillars of environment, economy, society and culture, with environmental education remaining its core. Second, ESD is not an isolated concept. Within the framework of UNESCO, ESD is related to other concepts, such as equity in education, lifelong learning and education for all. Third, ESD evolves with the times. In today’s era of globalization, digitalization and post-epidemic recovery, digitalizing ESD can play a vital role in educational reform. Additionally, ESD depends on monitoring and evaluation to promote continuous improvement and progress in its implementation.

The case of the “Global Engagement Program” is an innovative approach of Higher Education for Sustainable Development and serves as a valuable experience for other HEIs. Its goal is to cultivate individuals who possess the necessary skills and knowledge to contribute to a sustainable future. Through its incorporation regarding multidisciplinary integration, four-class combination and partnership and collaboration, the GEP educates students on SD concepts, provides them with interdisciplinary knowledge related to sustainability and enhances their global competence.

Based on the case study of GEP and the features of ESD, this study proposes an operational model of HESD. HEIs should focus on the curriculum and actively explore various extracurricular activities to cultivate and enhance students’ interdisciplinary competence, lifelong learning ability and global competence. According to the model, HEIs should enrich the content of courses and teach the concept of sustainable development in a comprehensive way, which can be conducted around the four dimensions of ESD. HEIs should enrich the forms of teaching and learning, exploring innovative and diverse forms of education as much as possible. HEIs should enrich cooperation partners by actively seeking cooperation with local communities, other higher education institutions at home and abroad, enterprises and international organizations in order to participate in ESD in a more active and diversified way. HEIs should finally enrich students’ abilities, which should be viewed as the goal of HESD, cultivating composite talents with global vision, multidisciplinary knowledge and continuous learning ability.

This study still has some limitations, such as limited access to a few of UNESCO’s official documents and the use of only one case study. Nevertheless, the findings of this study and the proposed implementation model for HESD are still meaningful since they are based on a theoretical foundation that includes existing research and almost the full range of official relevant documents, and a practical foundation of the GEP case. Future research directions will aim to expand the case studies to refine and improve the implementation model of HESD and, furthermore, based on the model, establish an evaluation system of HESD so as to promote HEIs to practice ESD more effectively.