Ensuring sustainability in internationalisation efforts at higher education institutions

Abstract

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) around the world are engaged in internationalisation efforts. Yet internationalisation per se is associated with significant pressures on the environment and environmental resources, which need to be addressed. This study aims to assess the opportunities, benefits and challenges associated with the internationalisation of universities at a global level. Design/methodology/approach A total of 27 relevant case studies were extracted from the literature to illustrate how HEIs worldwide are ensuring sustainability in their internationalisation efforts. Findings Through case studies of international HEIs, the study lists the opportunities, benefits and challenges associated with the internationalisation of universities at a global level and some of the measures that may be deployed to reduce the environmental impacts of their international activities. Originality/value This study provides a welcome contribution to the literature because it outlines some of the works taking place at universities, where matters related to sustainable development are considered against a background of internationalisation efforts.

Internationalization at Home from a Chinese perspective: the case of iZJU

“…The concept of IaH is defined as the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environments (Beelen and Jones, 2015). Compared to cross-border education, IaH contributes to the value of SDG4.3 and SDG13 (Leal Filho et al , 2023). In practice, IaH has become of great concern for higher education at many universities around the world.…”

“…From empirical evidence, the global carbon footprints associated with international student mobility were estimated to be between 14.01 and 38.54 megatons of CO 2 equivalent per year in 2014, which roughly doubled from 1999 – with the lower estimate comparable to the national annual emissions of Latvia or Jamaica, and the upper estimate comparable to those of Croatia or Tunisia (Shields, 2019; Bothwell, 2019; Beelen and de Louw, 2020). Thus, cross-border education is environmentally unsustainable in terms of academic mobility (Ilieva et al , 2014; Leal Filho et al , 2023). This again calls for the potential of IaH in meeting the SDGs.…”

Sustainable development practices in public higher education: A new conceptual framework for nurturing student satisfaction and reinforcing attractiveness to international students

“…HEIs around the world are increasingly participating in international collaborations with a view to transferring knowledge and experience (Filho et al, 2023). Using their resources, approaching, engaging in and promoting the mitigation of negative economic, social and environmental health effects, they help society to change towards a more sustainable life (Velazquez-Contreras, 2002).…”

“…HEIs and their stakeholders play a significant role in adopting and addressing the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are defined in the scope of the United Nations Agenda (Leal Filho et al, 2021). The SDGs were the inspiration to rethink internationalization in HEIs, emphasizing their environmental impact inside and outside the institution (de Wit & Deca, 2020; Ramaswamy et al, 2021), and contributing to the development of approaches, methods and tools supporting this process (Filho et al, 2023). Thus, a key component of HEIs' internationalization is to satisfy all their stakeholders through creating strategic collaborations to incorporate global, multicultural, and international perspectives in teaching, learning and research (Sahasrabudhe et al, 2020).…”

How Do Universities in Türkiye Integrate Sustainable Development Goals into Their Strategies?

“…This mission of universities raises the question "how must universities ensure that sustainability becomes an integral part of the university culture?" This concern has been the driving force of the study in order to create a multiplier effect within higher education in the short and long term [16,17].…”