Literature in sustainability integration into HE curriculum
| Study | Design | Context | Key findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arefin et al. (2021) | Single country | Developed country (Australia) | Most Australian universities have implemented sustainability in engineering education, but some are still working on it, with 15 future research questions developed to enhance integration efficiency and equip engineers for 21st-century challenges (environmental, personal, social and economic) |
| Leifler and Dahlin (2020) | Single country | Developed country (Sweden) | Program directors believe in the importance of sustainability based on personal convictions, but only 4–6 out of 10 potential learning objectives are implemented, with misalignment in activities and a need for additional support like faculty training and quality assessment incorporation |
| Žalėnienė and Pereira (2021) | Cross country | Developed countries (Lithuania and Portugal) | Higher education institutions are crucial for sustainability, contributing to SDGs like ending poverty and promoting gender equality, with challenges including under-educated audiences and political barriers and a need for effective communication, especially with first-year students, showing geographical disparities with Europe leading |
| Dlouhá et al. (2018) | Cross country | Developed countries (Germany, the Czech Republic, the UK) | Sustainability-oriented networks (e.g. COPERNICUS alliance) enhance curriculum integration through collaboration, with case studies showing varied success in embedding sustainability principles, influenced by regional priorities and institutional support, emphasizing the role of international partnerships |
| Bataeineh and Aga (2022) | Single country | Developing country (Saudi Arabia) | The study examined the integration of sustainability at a university in Saudi Arabia, finding low integration within curricula, with no elective or mandatory sustainability courses, highlighting practical ramifications for incorporating SDE capabilities, aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and UN SDGs |
| Idoiaga Mondragon et al. (2023) | Single country | Developed country (Spain) | At the University of the Basque Country, 71.22% of teachers incorporate Education for Sustainability (ES), with main themes like environmental awareness (22.73%) and social commitment (13.11%) and key competencies including professionals committed to society (20.51%) and critical thinking (18.80%), while 28.78% do not integrate ES, linked to unawareness of 2030 Agenda |
| Abo-Khalil (2024) | Single country | Developed country (UAE) | Universities face challenges like financial constraints, institutional inertia and complexity in integrating sustainability across disciplines, with opportunities to align with SDGs, enhance curricula and leverage initiatives like impact rankings, with UAE case studies showing successful strategies |
| Nguyen et al. (2024) | Single country | Developing country (Vietnam) | Problem-based learning (PBL) programs can address SDGs via the HE curriculum, teaching materials and relevant assessments, supporting learning at scale for HEIs. This study provides evidence of SDG integration into PBL curricula in a Vietnamese campus of an Australian university. It highlights the mapping methodology that enables HEIs to evaluate their sustainability readiness |
| Study | Design | Context | Key findings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single country | Developed country (Australia) | Most Australian universities have implemented sustainability in engineering education, but some are still working on it, with 15 future research questions developed to enhance integration efficiency and equip engineers for 21st-century challenges (environmental, personal, social and economic) | |
| Single country | Developed country (Sweden) | Program directors believe in the importance of sustainability based on personal convictions, but only 4–6 out of 10 potential learning objectives are implemented, with misalignment in activities and a need for additional support like faculty training and quality assessment incorporation | |
| Cross country | Developed countries (Lithuania and Portugal) | Higher education institutions are crucial for sustainability, contributing to SDGs like ending poverty and promoting gender equality, with challenges including under-educated audiences and political barriers and a need for effective communication, especially with first-year students, showing geographical disparities with Europe leading | |
| Cross country | Developed countries (Germany, the Czech Republic, the | Sustainability-oriented networks (e.g. COPERNICUS alliance) enhance curriculum integration through collaboration, with case studies showing varied success in embedding sustainability principles, influenced by regional priorities and institutional support, emphasizing the role of international partnerships | |
| Single country | Developing country (Saudi Arabia) | The study examined the integration of sustainability at a university in Saudi Arabia, finding low integration within curricula, with no elective or mandatory sustainability courses, highlighting practical ramifications for incorporating | |
| Single country | Developed country (Spain) | At the University of the Basque Country, 71.22% of teachers incorporate Education for Sustainability ( | |
| Single country | Developed country ( | Universities face challenges like financial constraints, institutional inertia and complexity in integrating sustainability across disciplines, with opportunities to align with SDGs, enhance curricula and leverage initiatives like impact rankings, with | |
| Single country | Developing country (Vietnam) | Problem-based learning ( |
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