TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how competences for sustainable development and research interrelate within a context of competence-based higher education. Specific focus is oriented towards strengthening research competences for sustainability.Design/methodology/approach Following a hermeneutic–interpretive methodology, this paper builds upon a critical literature review to demarcate the theoretical framework and an in-depth analysis of a case study exploring the interrelations between both types of competences.Findings The paper discusses current issues in the integration of competences and explores the contribution of research-based methods to acquire competences for sustainable development. The analysis shows that research skills are often mentioned to contribute to this acquisition, though from a general perspective, or from the sidelines of the learning process. A holistic view on how both concepts are linked is missing.Research limitations/implications First, the complex nature of competences and their integration in higher education could lead to difficulties in interpreting and analysing them. Second, the analysis is based on a single-case study, limiting possibilities to generalise the results. Third, this study is not looking at curriculum practices in these fields.Practical implications There is a need to holistically (re-)frame research competences within the concepts of education for sustainable development and, to a wider extent, sustainable development.Social implications Framing research competences within the concept of sustainable development enables a thorough and “conscious”, rather than coincidental, acquisition of competences for sustainable development.Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the fact that there is little literature about the interrelations between competences for sustainable development and research competences.
VL  - 17
IS  - 6
SN  - 1467-6370
DO  - 10.1108/IJSHE-03-2015-0060
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-03-2015-0060
AU  - Lambrechts Wim
AU  - Van Petegem Peter
PY  - 2016
Y1  - 2016/01/01
TI  - The interrelations between competences for sustainable development and research competences
T2  - International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 776
EP  - 795
Y2  - 2024/04/19
ER  -