Innovative Practices for Socially Sustainable Universities: Building Bridges within Communities

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue entitled "Innovative Practices for Socially Sustainable Universities: Building Bridges within Communities", which aims to expand the dissemination of knowledge regarding the development and implementation of socially sustainable practices within higher education institutions.

Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by United Nations member states in 2015, education has been recognized as a critical component in fostering a sustainable society. Notably, Subgoal 4.7 of the agenda emphasizes that "by 2030, all learners should acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development through education for sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equity, the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and the appreciation of cultural diversity and culture's contribution to sustainable development (p.19)."

As representatives of higher education, universities play a crucial role in achieving social sustainability through research, teaching, and learning; campus operations; leadership; and competencies. These competencies include specific skills, mindsets, and behaviors that promote positive societal change.

Despite the important role that educational institutions play in promoting humanism and societal prosperity, the concept of social sustainability remains a topic of debate within academic literature and among practitioners. The lack of consensus, clarity in definitions, precise objectives, suitable methodologies, and appropriate indicators for measuring social sustainability has hindered its implementation. In education, the context-dependent and value-laden nature of social sustainability, along with the involvement of many stakeholders and divergent goals, further reduces its adoption. Despite its slow development, social sustainability in higher education can be advanced through innovative, student-centered approaches that embrace transformative, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary perspectives.

A socially sustainable education system fosters a global society that is equitable, safe, free, and inclusive, ensuring every individual can participate in social activities and make democratic decisions. Achieving this transformative societal stage requires strong, utopian guiding principles within higher education.

This Special Issue provides an opportunity for scholars to develop, investigate, share, and disseminate new fundamental research information, methodologies, frameworks, models, and indicators related to social sustainability in universities. Thus, we invite submissions related to, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Mental health and wellbeing;
• Transformative learning;
• Social sustainability competencies;
• Gender issues;
• Accessible education;
• Social sustainability literacy;
• Social cohesion.

Dr. Iuliana Raluca Gheorghe
Dr. Alexandra Perju-Mitran
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.

• cultural diversity and inclusive programs
• mental health, wellbeing, and quality of academic life
• community engagement in higher education
• civic engagement in higher education
• transformative learning and teaching
• health and safety initiatives
• equity and accessible education
• community-building activities (student organizations, associations, and societies)
• gender issues
• social sustainability competencies
• collaborative work and solidarity
• social sustainability literacy
• social cohesion