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- Reinvigorating the sustainable development research agenda: the role of the sustainable development goals (SDG)Publication . Leal Filho, Walter; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Alves, FĂĄtima; Pace, Paul; Mifsud, Mark; Brandli, Luciana; Caeiro, Sandra; Disterheft, AntjeThe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) contain a set of 17 measures to foster sustainable development across many areas. It offers a good opportunity to reinvigorate sustainable development research for two main reasons. First, it comprises many areas of SD research, which have become mainstream thanks to the UN SDGs. Second, the fact that the UN and its member countries have committed to attaining SDGs by 2030 has added a sense of urgency to the need to perform quality research on SD on the one hand, and reiterates the need to use the results of this research on the other. Even though the basic concept of sustainability goes back many centuries, it has only recently appeared on the international political agenda. This is partly due to an awakening of the fact that the human ecological pressure on the planet is still much larger than what nature can renew or compensate for. Based on this state of affairs, this paper presents an outline of the process leading to the agreement on the UN SDGs, and looks at some of the ecological aspects as a result of continued pressure of human activities on natural resources. Furthermore, a set of research needs is proposed â also based holistically on updated research trends â discussing the degree of urgency of some measures and explaining why the UN SDGs need to be accorded greater priority in international sustainable development research efforts.
- A framework for the implementation of the sustainable development goals in university programmesPublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Frankenberger, Fernanda; Salvia, Amanda Lange; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Alves, FĂĄtima; Castro, Paula; Will, Markus; Platje, Joost; Lovren, Violeta Orlovic; Brandli, Luciana; Price, Elizabeth; Doni, Federica; Mifsud, Mark; Ăvila, Lucas VeigaThere is a perceived need to develop approaches, methods and tools that may help higher education institutions to systematically introduce the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into research and teaching as an intrinsic part of their programs. However, at present, there is a gap in the literature on the suitable means to do so. This paper addresses this gap by examining the many foci and commitments for and about the SDGs that are currently included in university programs. An overview of the SDGsâ focus at universities was presented using a survey to gather qualitative and quantitative data. . Based on current trends and gaps, this paper identifies the need for a framework which may be of assistance in facilitating the inclusion of the SDGs as a whole, and individually targets in particular in the programs of institutions of higher education. The scientific contribution of this paper value lies in the fact that this is one of the first papers to tackle the need for a framework which caters to a more systematic introduction of the SDGs in university programs. The basis for the framework approach, here introduced, includes institutional, thematic, structural and personal/individual aspects which need to be considered for proper implementation of the SDGs at the university level.
- Sustainable development goals and sustainability teaching at universities: falling behind or getting ahead of the pack?Publication . Leal Filho, Walter; Shiel, Chris; Paço, Arminda; Mifsud, Mark; Ăvila, Lucas; Brandli, Luciana; Molthan-Hill, Petra; Pace, Paul; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Vargas, Valeria; Caeiro, SandraThe fact that the world community is engaged in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) means that an unrivalled opportunity is provided to universities, both in respect of teaching and in research, on individual SDGs, as well as in pursuing their "third mission" linking up with external stakeholders and society. However, not many universities have realised that and many are falling behind. This paper explores the many advantages of the introduction of the SDGs into teaching and suggests that it can catalyse the engagement of students in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) with the concepts of sustainability. The paper fills in a research gap by surveying the current state of the art regarding the theme, presenting current data outlining the extent to which HEI are using SDGs to support their sustainability work. The reasons why some institutions are currently not engaging is also shown. The paper, which consists of a worldwide survey deployed to collect data on the SDGs and sustainability teaching at universities, concludes by providing some recommendations aimed at encouraging further engagement of HEI in incorporatingSDGs as part of their teaching programs. This research is unique in the sense that it provides for the first time offers an overview of the level of emphasis selected universities currently place on the SDGs. Finally, it provides a contribution to current state of knowledge by outlining some actions universities may take, to move forward with their implementation.
- COVID-19: the impact of a global crisis on sustainable development teachingPublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Price, Elizabeth; Wall, Tony; Shiel, Chris; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Mifsud, Mark; Brandli, Luciana; Farinha, Carla; Caeiro, Sandra; Salvia, Amanda Lange; Vasconcelos, Claudio Ruy Portela de; Sousa, Luiza Olim de; Pace, Paul; Doni, Federica; Avila, Lucas Veiga; Fritzen, BĂĄrbara; LeVasseur, Todd JaredThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused a global crisis, one which also infuences the ways sustainability is being taught at universities. This paper undertakes an analysis of the extent to which COVID-19 as a whole and the lockdown it triggered in particular, which has led to the suspension of presence-based teaching in universities worldwide and infuenced teaching on matters related to sustainable development. By means of a worldwide survey involving higher education institutions across all continents, the study has identifed a number of patterns, trends and problems. The results from the study show that the epidemic has signifcantly afected teaching practices. The lockdowns have led to a surge in the use of on-line communication tools as a partial replacement to normal lessons. In addition, many faculty teaching sustainability in higher education have strong competencies in digital literacy. The sampled higher education educations haveâas a wholeâadequate infrastructure to continue to teach during the lockdowns. Finally, the majority of the sample revealed that they miss the interactions via direct face-to-face student engagement, which is deemed as necessary for the efective teaching of sustainability content. The implications of this paper are two-fold. Firstly, it describes how sustainability teaching on sustainable development has been afected by the lockdown. Secondly, it describes some of the solutions deployed to overcome the problem. Finally, the paper outlines the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic may serve the purpose of showing how university teaching on sustainability may be improved in the future, taking more advantage of modern information technologies.
- Identifying and overcoming obstacles to the implementation of sustainable development at universitiesPublication . Leal Filho, Walter; Wu, Yenchun Jim; Brandli, Luciana; Avila, Lucas Veiga; Azeiteiro, Ulisses; Caeiro, Sandra; Madruga, Lucia Rejane da Rosa GamaAlthough there have been proven and successful developments in the field of Higher Education for Sustainable Development over the past 15 years or so, there are still numerous challenges to be overcome. Among these challenges is the need for Higher Education Institutions to improve the integration of sustainability in the curriculum and in research, and most importantly, to integrate it holistically in their systems. This paper presents an analysis of the fundamental obstacles to the incorporation of sustainable development in universities. It reports on an empirical study performed with universities across the world, where some of the main barriers are identified. It is recommended that these barriers are viewed as obstacles and entrepreneurial opportunities, and addressed accordingly.