Students as Catalysts in Achieving Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Initiatives and Program Highlights

Abstract

Students play a vital role in achieving sustainability at Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs). Since the framework of Education for Sustainable Development in IHEs is mostly geared toward formal curricula, the importance of informal/extracurricular activities is generally sidelined. By reviewing some of the barriers facing student-led sustainability activities and using the Universiti Sains Malaysia's Kampus Sejahtera initiative as an example, the present study provides a practical analysis of the less-explored question, Do on-campus student-led sustainability initiatives impact off-campus higher level sustainability policies? The current work demonstrates how a project under the Kampus Sejahtera initiative could make an impact at the state level in Malaysia. Using desktop research, document analysis, and interviews with relevant stakeholders, a total of 705 projects posted on social media of which 20 relevant documents were analyzed in search of the impact of student-led campus initiatives on higher level off-campus sustainability policies. The White Coffin campaign was identified as the most successful student initiative at the university to date. Findings revealed the bottom-up approach left a greater mark on the student community due to empowerment and freedom given to students toward achieving the Sustainable Development Agenda. The results of this work provide insight into student-led initiatives and serve as a transfer learning initiative to other IHEs.

Students’ Attitude and Perception towards Sustainability: The Case of Universiti Sains Malaysia

“…Sustainability elements are integrated and embedded in all courses offered in the university, containing at least one SDGs element in each course. One of the most impactful agendas at USM was the establishment of a student-led program called Kampus Sejahtera [38]. The Malay word sejahtera, translated into English as "healthy", cuts across spiritual, social, physical, mental, and environmental dimensions, and in a sense, reaches beyond health to include ideas of sustainable development [39].…”

Students leading students: a qualitative study exploring a student-led model for engagement with the sustainable development goals

“…In particular, making a difference within the community helped students feel valued and empowered (Larsson and Holmberg, 2018; Lozano et al , 2013). In this way, student-led initiatives that involve experiential, action-oriented and reflective learning can serve as incubators for fostering energized and resilient student leaders (Dlouhá et al , 2019; Ely, 2018; Larsson and Holmberg, 2018; Savage et al , 2015; Syed Azhar et al , 2020).…”

“…Participants reflected on how they developed skills transferable to future work and volunteer positions, accessed new opportunities and gained insight into their career aspirations and personal values. In this way, student-led initiatives such as the SDGA can function as educational spaces that promote higher-order learning, skill application and leadership development (Cottafava et al , 2019; Drupp et al , 2012; Syed Azhar et al , 2020).…”