Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change
Universities are increasingly engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Appeal for the SDGs is partly based on their double transformation framing: they are seen as enablers of societal transformations and transformations within universities. This article aims to understand how the SDG...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Earth System Governance |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258981162300023X |
| _version_ | 1797741392337829888 |
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| author | Andrea Cuesta-Claros Shirin Malekpour Rob Raven Tahl Kestin |
| author_facet | Andrea Cuesta-Claros Shirin Malekpour Rob Raven Tahl Kestin |
| author_sort | Andrea Cuesta-Claros |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Universities are increasingly engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Appeal for the SDGs is partly based on their double transformation framing: they are seen as enablers of societal transformations and transformations within universities. This article aims to understand how the SDGs influence university transformations. We analyse how four universities have integrated the SDGs through a comparative case study. We propose a framework to determine the impact of the SDGs in universities by identifying their scope of change (i.e. discursive, institutional, relational, and resource effects) and depth of change (i.e. accommodative, reformative or transformative). This study shows that discursive effects are the most prominent hinting toward transformative change. To lesser extents, primarily accommodative, the SDGs have influenced institutional, relational, and resource changes. Overall, findings show that for the SDGs to fulfil their transformative potential in universities, they should be used as more than communications and legitimizing tools. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:26:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-269ee03f96434d148def77ebaae14f06 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2589-8116 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T14:26:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth System Governance |
| spelling | doaj.art-269ee03f96434d148def77ebaae14f062023-08-18T04:31:28ZengElsevierEarth System Governance2589-81162023-08-0117100186Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of changeAndrea Cuesta-Claros0Shirin Malekpour1Rob Raven2Tahl Kestin3Corresponding author.; Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, 8 Scenic Boulevard, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, AustraliaUniversities are increasingly engaging with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Appeal for the SDGs is partly based on their double transformation framing: they are seen as enablers of societal transformations and transformations within universities. This article aims to understand how the SDGs influence university transformations. We analyse how four universities have integrated the SDGs through a comparative case study. We propose a framework to determine the impact of the SDGs in universities by identifying their scope of change (i.e. discursive, institutional, relational, and resource effects) and depth of change (i.e. accommodative, reformative or transformative). This study shows that discursive effects are the most prominent hinting toward transformative change. To lesser extents, primarily accommodative, the SDGs have influenced institutional, relational, and resource changes. Overall, findings show that for the SDGs to fulfil their transformative potential in universities, they should be used as more than communications and legitimizing tools.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258981162300023XUniversitySDGsSteering effectsTransformation |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Cuesta-Claros Shirin Malekpour Rob Raven Tahl Kestin Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change Earth System Governance University SDGs Steering effects Transformation |
| title | Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change |
| title_full | Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change |
| title_fullStr | Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change |
| title_short | Are the sustainable development goals transforming universities? – An analysis of steering effects and depth of change |
| title_sort | are the sustainable development goals transforming universities an analysis of steering effects and depth of change |
| topic | University SDGs Steering effects Transformation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258981162300023X |
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