Governance implications of the UN higher education sustainability initiative

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to review the progress of a sample of (n = 307) signatories in the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative which commits higher education institutions (HEIs) to make smart commitments to achieve one or more of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach A preliminary survey of n = 307 HEIs via online questionnaire and database search was conducted. Findings Findings reveal a difference between HEI governance, that is “instrumental”, and governance, that is “holistic”, in relation to sustainability. Research limitations/implications Implications identified for achieving SDGs in general and for academic–business partnerships, in particular. Practical implications Practical implications for enterprise (developing a tool to measure sustainability mindset) and for enterprise education (sharing of best practices from other HEIs). Social implications Improved understanding of the sustainability mindset will inform decisions about approaches to governing and operationalising sustainability in organisations. Originality/value The survey is not original but the emphasis on sustainability mindset (compassion, empathy and connectedness to SDGs) is.

Entrepreneurship Education and Sustainable Development Goals: A literature Review and a Closer Look at Fragile States and Technology-Enabled Approaches

“…it is recommended to focus on research pertaining to the desired outcomes of EET with relation to sustainable development. For example, Moon et al [133] point out the importance of building a socially and ecologically aware mindset for learners and teachers alike to maximize the sustainable impact of EET in higher education institutes. Although a large number of studies focus on mindset development as key EET outcome (for example [68,69,134,135]), very few focus on EET's relationship to developing the mindset needed to achieve sustainability through entrepreneurship.…”

The entrepreneurial university as an engine for sustainable development

“…The adoption of sustainability oriented strategies by universities faces constraints (Velazquez et al, 2005) as the embracement of such initiatives can be prevented by governance issues (Rasche et al, 2017). Indeed, the governance implications can impact the sustainability initiatives and the adoption of the SDGs (Moon et al, 2018;Bauer, et al, 2018). The obstacles to integrating a wider sustainability strategy is aligned with Etzkowitz's (2014Etzkowitz's ( , 2016 highlighted challenges of the entrepreneurial universities towards serving a social mission and becoming engines of growth.…”

“…However, the impact of pedagogical interventions on both enterprise and sustainability outcomes is less clear due to numerous intervening variables (Wals, 2013;Rasche et al, 2017;James and Schmitz, 2011;Moon et al, 2018). In fact, there are tensions between the goals of traditional enterprise and entrepreneurship education and education for sustainable development.…”

“…In fact, there are tensions between the goals of traditional enterprise and entrepreneurship education and education for sustainable development. That is, economic growth and the exploitation of resources (self-interest) can be encouraged/discouraged by some faculty; and limiting growth and conserving resources (sustainability) could be encouraged/discouraged by other faculty (Moon et al, 2018). Aragon-Correa et al (2017) also highlight these tensions and this is why the above conceptual framework can act as an assessment tool for the universities towards the sustainable entrepreneurial university i.e.…”

“…The HESI was established in 2012 to assist HE providers in contributing to the SDGs; and one progress evaluation shows that 73% of 272 commitments made by HEIs indicated partial progress, either directly or indirectly; 18% hadn't demonstrated any progress and 9% could not be determined (HESI, 2014; see also ECOSOC, 2017). Moon et al (2018) provided an updated review of progress to find that the modal HESI signatories had only committed to achieving SDG#4. This paper further reviews the progress in comparison with the SDGs Index (2018) and identifies both best practices and challenges.…”