About this Research Topic

Background

Calls for transforming higher education toward sustainability by academics are not new. Recently, students—both current and prospective—have actively voiced their demands for this change. They seek an education that equips them to navigate the complexities of sustainability and climate change, fostering knowledge and skills for action. In response, higher education institutions (HEIs) are formulating strategies to align their mission with sustainability goals. However, the effectiveness of these strategies, along with the underlying policies and practices, remains insufficiently studied. To address this gap, it is crucial to convene academics, professional staff, and students for discussions on necessary cultural shifts, a roadmap, and ways to monitor and evaluate this change. Such dialogues will lead to improved decision-making for transformation to achieve sustainability. Students will not only learn about sustainability in their courses but also apply them to their lives within and beyond universities that champion holistic sustainability transformation.

This topic aims to empower relevant higher education stakeholders to explore their existing or desired policies for sustainability transformation. This exploration prompts them to assess which aspects of the whole institution approach they address. How do these policies conceptualize sustainability? Are they systemic, moving beyond surface-level changes? Additionally, we delve into monitoring and evaluating progress. We welcome insights through theoretical contributions or case studies across various sustainability domains: transformation, teaching and learning, research, operations, culture, and community engagement. Authors are encouraged to go beyond mapping specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and consider holistic indicators that offer systemic and inclusive perspectives on transformation. We invite submissions from diverse geographic regions, particularly areas with research gaps, such as the Global South. Additionally, we actively encourage works that incorporate a variety of stakeholder views, including student voices and civil society, to foster inclusivity and meaningful sustainability transformation that extends beyond the campus boundaries. Lastly, we invite authors to explore how integrating sustainability in higher education can enhance decision-making and policy formulation both within and beyond the institution.

- Conceptualizations of sustainability in HE for systemic SDG integration
- Policy analysis for achieving sustainability in HE (Including environmental policies)
- Monitoring and evaluation of sustainability transformation policy outcomes in HE
- Case studies of practices for achieving sustainability transformations in HE
- Theoretical contributions to conceptualizing sustainability transformations in HE
- Inclusive decision-making in HE sustainability transformation policy and practice (including participatory approaches that include diverse voices from the institution)
- Successful partnerships with local communities, businesses, NGOs, and/or government agencies for sustainability transformation in HE
- Global perspectives on the challenges and solutions for sustainability transformations in HE

Keywords: higher education, sustainability, transformation, education for sustainability, policy

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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