The Sustainable Institutions Project: An Evidence Informed Review Of Good Practice" is to examine instances of sustainable institutions from around the world to provide an evidence-based review of the most recent best practices for creating a sustainable institution.
Whilst many institutions have taken steps to become more sustainable, these initiatives and projects are typically confined to particular areas of a university’s curriculum or operations. In order for institutions to be fully sustainable, more must be done to develop institutional-scale strategic approaches that cut across university departments and functioning. However, there are few examples of how these sort of approaches are initiated, developed and embedded.
The project is based in the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The project team will be collaborating with global institutions to develop the case studies, to ensure that the findings are applicable widely to the Advance HE membership.
Read an introductory blog from the project team, Dr Iain Cross and Dr Alina Congreve using the link below.
Explore the report
The final report is ready for members to read.
Aim and Objective
The principal aim of the project is to review examples of sustainable institutions from around the globe to provide our members with an evidence-based review of current best practices for developing as a sustainable institution and support their understanding of the need to take a strategic approach to sustainability across all their areas of operations.
Project Output
The project's output will be a systematic literature review and accompanying collection of international case studies. These will explore what it means for a whole university to be sustainable, and unpack what makes whole-institution approaches to sustainability successful. It will also consider how sustainability assessment tools are used to support institutions in developing effective strategies. It is hoped that through studying successful initiatives, other institutions will be empowered to apply this learning to their own sustainability journeys.
Webinar
The following webinar took place on Thursday 29 February 2024.
What progress are universities making in becoming sustainable institutions? A lot of work on sustainability is in silos, and there is untapped potential aligning activity in teaching, research, estates and engagement. We will share the headline findings from an evidence-based review of current practice: a systematic literature review and five detailed case studies. These are Cardiff Metropolitan University, Falmouth University, Wageningen University, Deakin University, and University of Sharjah.
Every university is different, and operates within a particular set of legal, economic and cultural constraints. However, this research offers insights which will help universities at many different stages in their sustainability journey. This session is especially relevant for sustainability managers, local champions, people with a leadership role in teaching and research, and those working in civic outreach and engagement.
The format is a presentation with significant time for Q&A.
Project Team
Dr Iain Cross is Associate Professor, Education Development at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). He leads the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching and has wide interests in higher education including teaching about climate change, authentic learning and decolonisation. Follow him on social media by using these links : LinkedIn, Twitter or Orcid.
Dr Alina Congreve is an independent researcher, with interests in including sustainability in higher education. Alina develops and delivers training and professional development to a wide range of higher education and professional organisations including universities and Vitae. Follow her on social media using these links: LinkedIn or Orcid.
Collaborative Development Fund Projects 2022-23
Through a series of projects, the 2022–23 Collaborative Development Fund will support the growth of our members by tackling significant industry challenges collectively. Advance HE grants funding enables our members to grow by identifying major sector issues. The resources and outputs from all three projects will be made available to all members.