Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions

Various institutions across the world encourage young people to get involved in community development initiatives and set up small businesses that contribute to the sustainability of society. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that Enactus International is a key stakeholder in this end...

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Main Authors: Ademola Olumuyiwa Omotosho, Morakinyo Akintolu, Kimanzi Mathew Kimweli, Motalenyane Alfred Modise
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-09-01
Series:Education Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/935
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author Ademola Olumuyiwa Omotosho
Morakinyo Akintolu
Kimanzi Mathew Kimweli
Motalenyane Alfred Modise
author_facet Ademola Olumuyiwa Omotosho
Morakinyo Akintolu
Kimanzi Mathew Kimweli
Motalenyane Alfred Modise
author_sort Ademola Olumuyiwa Omotosho
collection DOAJ
description Various institutions across the world encourage young people to get involved in community development initiatives and set up small businesses that contribute to the sustainability of society. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that Enactus International is a key stakeholder in this endeavor, as university students’ transformational innovations are developed and exported through Enactus-established collaborations. However, further investigation is required to identify how this phenomenon works. Previous studies have not explored Enactus student teams’ sustainability practices in relation to global goals, and most were limited to the context of a particular institution. As a result, this article examines the relationship between the Enactus sustainability initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, thus identifying critical lessons for South African higher education institutions as well as HEIs in other nations facing comparable circumstances. A focused review methodology is used in this analysis to assess the Enactus global sustainability initiative’s alignment with the SDGs, which involves a comprehensive search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases to identify relevant articles. As the year 2030 approaches, the authors warn that university stakeholders’ resistance to change and knowledge gaps about sustainability practices, as well as other limiting factors identified in this study, may impede the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in the country. This study intends to encourage higher education institutions as change agents, stimulating them to take the lead in overcoming obstacles to the attainment of the SDGs by 2030. The study illuminates cogent approaches necessary for HEIs to create a more sustainable world. It specifically highlights the multidisciplinary perspective and collaborative opportunities offered by SDG-driven organizations.
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spelling doaj.art-4f7020dc3097449e98d618a07ff028622023-11-19T10:19:39ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022023-09-0113993510.3390/educsci13090935Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education InstitutionsAdemola Olumuyiwa Omotosho0Morakinyo Akintolu1Kimanzi Mathew Kimweli2Motalenyane Alfred Modise3Department of Languages and Social Sciences Education, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein 9301, South AfricaUNESCO Chair on Open Distance Learning, College of Education, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0002, South AfricaDepartment of Languages and Social Sciences Education, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein 9301, South AfricaDepartment of Languages and Social Sciences Education, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein 9301, South AfricaVarious institutions across the world encourage young people to get involved in community development initiatives and set up small businesses that contribute to the sustainability of society. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that Enactus International is a key stakeholder in this endeavor, as university students’ transformational innovations are developed and exported through Enactus-established collaborations. However, further investigation is required to identify how this phenomenon works. Previous studies have not explored Enactus student teams’ sustainability practices in relation to global goals, and most were limited to the context of a particular institution. As a result, this article examines the relationship between the Enactus sustainability initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, thus identifying critical lessons for South African higher education institutions as well as HEIs in other nations facing comparable circumstances. A focused review methodology is used in this analysis to assess the Enactus global sustainability initiative’s alignment with the SDGs, which involves a comprehensive search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases to identify relevant articles. As the year 2030 approaches, the authors warn that university stakeholders’ resistance to change and knowledge gaps about sustainability practices, as well as other limiting factors identified in this study, may impede the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in the country. This study intends to encourage higher education institutions as change agents, stimulating them to take the lead in overcoming obstacles to the attainment of the SDGs by 2030. The study illuminates cogent approaches necessary for HEIs to create a more sustainable world. It specifically highlights the multidisciplinary perspective and collaborative opportunities offered by SDG-driven organizations.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/935EnactusSouth Africayouthentrepreneurshipsustainable development goals
spellingShingle Ademola Olumuyiwa Omotosho
Morakinyo Akintolu
Kimanzi Mathew Kimweli
Motalenyane Alfred Modise
Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions
Education Sciences
Enactus
South Africa
youth
entrepreneurship
sustainable development goals
title Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions
title_full Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions
title_fullStr Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions
title_short Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions
title_sort assessing the enactus global sustainability initiative s alignment with united nations sustainable development goals lessons for higher education institutions
topic Enactus
South Africa
youth
entrepreneurship
sustainable development goals
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/935
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