Key features of sustainable universities: a literature review

Abstract

The concept of sustainable development has a broad nature. Despite this, the question of the sustainable organisation has a gap for deeper analysis. Assuming that universities are seen as a specific type of organization, this makes such analysis even narrower. The surrounding social and economic environment on the one hand and the management and performance of the university on the other – both are essential for the university while reaching sustainability. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to identify the key features of the sustainable university. In order to answer this research question, the analysis was based on reviewing the findings of scientific papers published during the last decade in the database Thompson Reuters Web of Science. In total, 66 research papers were included in the analysis. Three main themes were identified after the literature review analysis: (1) Management tools for universities’ change and development, (2) From green campuses and environmental footprint to university capacity building, (3) Content, curricula and education for sustainable development. Altogether they represent different approaches to this topic. The analysis revealed that sustainable development of universities is determined by its internal factors in relationship to the surrounding environment. The university’s ability to develop sustainably mostly depends on the exposure to surrounding conditions. The article provides a comprehensive framework for the sustainable university. Obviously, there is a need for more detailed analysis in order to identify the key features of sustainable universities as a specific type of organisation.