Integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Institutional Development Strategy: Recommendations for Vietnamese Universities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2023.283-
Downloads
How to Cite
Abstract
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which were endorsed by global leaders at a United Nations meeting in September 2015, entered into force on January 1st, 2016. These objectives seek to coordinate worldwide endeavours to end inequality, combat climate change, and eradicate all forms of poverty while guaranteeing that no one is left behind. This study focuses on synthesizing reports and scholarly papers discussing the integration of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs into higher education worldwide to propose recommendations for Vietnam. The results from document analysis show that universities play a significant role in the implementation of the SDGs. Moreover, the key areas to integrate the SDGs into the institution’s strategic planning are education, research, cooperation and community services, and institutional governance and operations. It is suggested that to integrate the SDGs into the development strategy, Vietnamese universities should understand the SDGs, conduct a sustainable assessment, build sustainability policies, engage stakeholders, and regularly monitor and report progress toward the SDGs.
Downloads
References
Agusdinata, D. B. (2022). The role of universities in SDGs solution co-creation and implementation: A human-centered design and shared-action learning process. Sustainability Science, 17(4), 1589-1604. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01128-9
Amador, J. A., Redondo, J. M., Olivar-Tost, G., & Erazo, C. (2021). Cooperation-based modeling of sustainable development: An approach from Filippov’s systems. Complexity, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/4249106
Amorós Molina, Á., Helldén, D., Alfvén, T., Niemi, M., Leander, K., Nordenstedt, H., Rehn, C., Ndejjo, R., Wanyenze, R., & Biermann, O. (2023). Integrating the United Nations sustainable development goals into higher education globally: a scoping review. Global Health Action, 16(1), 2190649. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2023.2190649
Ashida, A. (2022). The role of higher education in achieving the sustainable development goals. In S. Urata, K. Kuroda, & Y. Tonegawa (Eds.), Sustainable Development Disciplines for Humanity (pp. 71-84). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4859-6_5
Barbier, E. B., & Burgess, J. C. (2021). Institutional quality, governance and progress towards the SDGs. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111798
Berchin, I. I., de Aguiar Dutra, A. R., & Guerra, J. B. S. O. de A. (2021). How do higher education institutions promote sustainable development? A literature review. Sustainable Development, 29(6), 1204-1222. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2219
Blasco, N., Brusca, I., & Labrador, M. (2019). Assessing sustainability and its performance implications: An empirical analysis in Spanish public universities. Sustainability, 11(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11195302
Calderon, A. (2021, April 22). How can universities ensure progress towards the UN SDGs? University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210422155552481
Chankseliani, M., & McCowan, T. (2021). Higher education and the Sustainable Development Goals. Higher Education, 81(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00652-w
Dawodu, A., Dai, H., Zou, T., Zhou, H., Lian, W., Oladejo, J., & Osebor, F. (2022). Campus sustainability research: Indicators and dimensions to consider for the design and assessment of a sustainable campus. Heliyon, 8(12), e11864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11864
Filho, W. L., Salvia, A. L., Frankenberger, F., Akib, N. A. M., Sen, S. K., Sivapalan, S., Novo-Corti, I., Venkatesan, M., & Emblen-Perry, K. (2021). Governance and sustainable development at higher education institutions. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(4), 6002-6020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00859-y
Filho, W. L., Shiel, C., Paço, A., Mifsud, M., Ávila, L. V., Brandli, L. L., Molthan-Hill, P., Pace, P., Azeiteiro, U. M., Vargas, V. R., & Caeiro, S. (2019). Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack? Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 285-294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.309
Findler, F., Schönherr, N., Lozano, R., & Stacherl, B. (2019). Assessing the impacts of higher education institutions on sustainable development-an analysis of tools and indicators. Sustainability, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010059
Fransen, A. (2022). Integrated goals: Where do SDGs align in curriculum? https://lx.uts.edu.au/blog/2022/09/27/integrated-goals-where-do-sdgs-align-in-curriculum/
Guo, H., Huang, L., & Liang, D. (2022). Further promotion of sustainable development goals using science, technology, and innovation. Innovation, 3(6), 100325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2022.100325
Ivison, D. (2020). Why should universities pay attention to the SDGs? https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/why-should-universities-pay-attention-sdgs
Khurshid, K., Noureen, S., & Hussain, B. (2020). Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals for Quality Education in institutions of Higher Education in Pakistan: A Qualitative Analysis. International Journal of Innovation in Teaching and Learning (IJITL), 6(1), 159-173. https://doi.org/10.35993/ijitl.v6i1.913
Kohl, K., Hopkins, C., Barth, M., Michelsen, G., Dlouhá, J., Razak, D. A., Abidin Bin Sanusi, Z., & Toman, I. (2022). A whole-institution approach towards sustainability: A crucial aspect of higher education’s individual and collective engagement with the SDGs and beyond. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(2), 218-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-10-2020-0398
Kopnina, H. (2018). Teaching Sustainable Development Goals in the Netherlands: A critical approach. Environmental Education Research, 24(9), 1268-1283. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1303819
Nguyen, C. H., Tran, S. T. N., & Nguyen, N. A. D. (2021). Innovations in Water Management for Sustainable Development of Higher Education Institutions: Experience from Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam. Journal of Sustainability Perspectives, 1, 478-484. https://doi.org/10.14710/jsp.2021.12565
OECD. (n.d.). OECD knowledge platform on policy coherence for sustainable development. https://www.oecd.org/governance/pcsd/toolkit/institutionalmechanisms/
Purcell, W. M., Henriksen, H., & Spengler, J. D. (2019). Universities as the engine of transformational sustainability toward delivering the sustainable development goals: “Living labs” for sustainability. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 20(8), 1343-1357. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-02-2019-0103
Saini, M., Sengupta, E., Singh, M., Singh, H., & Singh, J. (2023). Sustainable Development Goal for Quality Education (SDG 4): A study on SDG 4 to extract the pattern of association among the indicators of SDG 4 employing a genetic algorithm. Education and Information Technologies, 28(2), 2031-2069. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11265-4
Salman, A., Al-Hemoud, A., Fakhraldeen, S. A., Al-Nashmi, M., Alfadhli, S. M., & Chun, S. (2020). Research and development as a moderating variable for sustainable economic performance: The Asian, European, and Kuwaiti models. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(18), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187525
SDSN Australia/Pacific. (2017). Getting started with the SDGs in universities: A guide for universities, higher education institutions, and the academic sector. https://ap-unsdsn.org/wp-content/uploads/University-SDG-Guide_web.pdf
UN Volunteer. (n.d.). Sustainable Development Goals: Information and guidance for volunteer organizations. https://www.unv.org/sites/default/files/UNV_Q_A_on_SDG_2015_web.pdf
UNESCO. (2012). Shaping the Education of Tomorrow: 2012 Report on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, Abridged. UNESCO. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/919unesco1.pdf
UNESCO. (2016). Education for people and planet: Creating sustainable futures for all, Global education monitoring report, 2016. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245752
UNESCO. (2022). Making the link for SDG 4: Higher education governance and the quality and equity of higher education systems. https://www.iesalc.unesco.org/en/2022/07/13/making-the-link-for-sdg-4-higher-education-governance-and-the-quality-and-equity-of-higher-education-systems/
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). (2017). Complementarites between the ASEAN community vision 2025 and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development: A framework for action. https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/UN-ASEAN-Complementarities-Report_Final_PRINT.pdf
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. (2020). Measuring and monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/2012761_E_web.pdf
United Nations. (2018). Global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/Global Indicator Framework after refinement_Eng.pdf
United Nations. (n.d.-a). 17 goals to transform our world. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
United Nations. (n.d.-b). The Sustainable Development Agenda. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda-retired/
University of California. (2022). Sustainable practices. https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices
University of Galway. (2021). NUI Galway sustainability strategy: Leading the transition to a sustainable future. https://www.universityofgalway.ie/media/sustainability/files/NUI-Galway-Sustainability-Strategy-2021-2025.pdf
University of New South Wales. (2019). Environmental sustainability plan 2019-21. https://www.sustainability.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/documents/190925 EnvironmentalSustainabilityPlan.pdf
University of Sydney. (n.d.). Sustainability strategy. https://www.sydney.edu.au/about-us/vision-and-values/sustainability/sustainability-strategy.html
University of Worcester. (2029). Sustainability Strategy 2020 - 2030. https://www.worcester.ac.uk/documents/sustainability-strategy-2030.pdf
Zainuri, A., & Huda, M. (2023). Empowering cooperative teamwork for community service sustainability: Insights from service learning. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054551
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Vietnam Journal of Education
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.