SUSTAINABILITY, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Sustainability, as an analytical and normative framework, is dominating the twenty-first century. The concepts of sustainability and sustainable development have become an indispensable phenomenon in almost every aspect of modern society. Undoubtedly, the predominance and integration of sustainability has had important repercussions for higher education as well. Accordingly, universities are expected to align themselves with sustainable development goals in many different ways, from creating green campuses to raising awareness of the society, from suggesting sustainable solutions to current problems to developing sustainability capacity. However, it seems that the notion of sustainable university still needs further elaboration and examination considering the fact that the literature on sustainable universities is quite limited. A review of Turkish literature on sustainable university has revealed that there exists a research gap that needs to be addressed. Based on this shortcoming, the current study examines sustainable university models and sustainable university rankings as well as the components included. The findings indicate that the models and rankings discussed make an important contribution to the literature and can provide an important reference point for decision makers in higher education in designing and implementing the necessary policies for sustainability. It is thought that the findings of the current study are of importance in that they can establish a base for further research and guide higher education leaders through their journey to design and implement sustainable policies.