scholarly journals Sustainability practices in Spanish higher education institutions: An overview of status and implementation

2021 ◽  
Vol 295 ◽  
pp. 126320
Author(s):  
Núria Bautista-Puig ◽  
Elías Sanz-Casado
Author(s):  
Daniel Perez-Gonzalez ◽  
Pedro Soto-Acosta ◽  
Simona Popa

Education has expanded from the traditional in-class environment to the new digital phenomenon where teaching is assisted by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This wave of e-learning is challenging the effectiveness of the traditional educational approach still in place at higher education institutions. Academics and professionals agree that, to adapt higher education institutions to the 21st century, it is imperative to extend the use of ICT as well as the virtualization of many human-interaction activities. In this sense, public institutions and international reports suggest the need to deepen the application and study of e-learning within higher education as a means for achieving flexible, dynamic, and personalized e-learning initiatives. This chapter presents a case study that analyzes the implementation of a virtual interuniversity campus in which nine Spanish higher education institutions took part. For this purpose, the genesis of the project and the main characteristics of the virtual environment are described.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiyan Xiong ◽  
Ka Ho Mok

Eight University Grant Committee (UGC)-funded public universities in Hong Kong positively and successfully responded to the global call for sustainability efforts in higher education institutions (HEIs). Various initiatives are transpiring within these eight campuses. The Hong Kong Sustainable Campus Consortium (HKSCC) was co-established by eight UGC-funded universities, which is an excellent example of integrating resources and efforts to achieve sustainable development goals and exert positive social impacts. Through interviews with HKSCC administrators and members and reviewing relevant documents, this study aims to examine the roles and challenges of HKSCC toward Hong Kong HEIs’ sustainability efforts, and present the good practices and achievements of HKSCC. Findings of this study reveal that although HKSCC and each UGC-funded university contribute in reaching the sustainability goals, they should pay considerable attention to the external impact of sustainability practices on communities and society. Moreover, we propose that the sustainable development of public universities in Hong Kong should look beyond the narrowed definition of sustainable development and broaden their roles to exert a social impact by addressing the negative consequences of the massification, privatization, and internationalization of higher education.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis ◽  
Subarna Sivapalan ◽  
Halima Begum ◽  
Theam Foo Ng ◽  
...  

Purpose It is still unclear how Asian universities incorporate the theory or practice of sustainable development (SD) in their research and education programmes. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to report on a study that has examined how universities in Asian countries handle and address matters related to SD. Design/methodology/approach The study used a bibliometric analysis and an online survey-method. The online survey data were analysed through descriptive analysis and one-sample student’s t-test. Findings The study indicates that there is considerable variation among the Asian countries regarding sustainability practices in higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEIs in far eastern countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are perceived to demonstrate more sustainability practices. Research limitations/implications Even though a substantial number of participants participated in the survey, it did not cover all Asian countries. The online survey was carried out over a limited period of time, and not all HEIs in the field may have received information about the study. Practical implications Asia is the largest continent facing a number of sustainability challenges. In this context, the contribution of HEIs is very important. The findings of the current study may serve as a baseline for Asian HEIs to take more initiatives towards SD goals, as HEIs are responsible for the education and training of hundreds of thousands of students who will be occupying key positions in industry, government or education in the coming years. Originality/value The study contributes to the existing literature in two distinct ways. First, it was possible to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure sustainability practices in HEIs. Second, this study has filled the gap of the scarcity of studies regarding sustainability practices in HEIs in Asia.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leander Luiz Klein ◽  
Julio Cesar Ferro De Guimarães ◽  
Eliana Andréa Severo ◽  
Eric Charles Henri Dorion ◽  
Thiago Schirmer Feltrin

Purpose As few studies have explored the causal relationship between both the triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability and the lean practices in higher education institutions (HEIs), the purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationships between lean practices and sustainable practices in Brazilian HEIs. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with 454 public and private HEIs workers in Brazil. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modeling were used for data analysis. Findings The results support the hypotheses of the study that HEI lean practices are positively related to environmental, economic and social practices in HEIs. Practical implications HEI managers must evaluate the use of lean practices in the organizational processes, to identify their weaknesses and to improve the aspects that influence a balanced TBL of sustainability practices. Social implications The findings highlight the importance of leadership as a support for the workers, as a continuous improvement practice on a daily basis and a focus on the student as a basic principle of HEI success. Originality/value This article provides new measurement and structural models to analyze Lean thinking practices as the predictors of sustainability practices. The work could assist any HEI in prioritizing its strategies and actions and to contribute to excellence in decision-making. This study could contribute as a source of empirical data for transferability in other contexts for HEIs.


2019 ◽  
pp. 143-152
Author(s):  
D.M. Solopchuk ◽  
◽  
A.O. Bodnar ◽  
I.I. Stasiuk ◽  
M.M. Kuzhel ◽  
...  

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