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Higher education institutions (HEIs) have a pivotal role in global sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to assess the QualEnv Consortium's contributions (QualEnv, a cooperative network of 16 universities across several countries, aimed to promote sustainability within HEIs). This paper focuses on three key objectives: illustrating QualEnv's successful, replicable sustainability strategies, highlighting their application and outcomes and contributing to the discourse on sustainable practices in HEIs.

This research uses qualitative and exploratory methods to provide an in-depth view of sustainability practices and strategies within universities. This study relies on documentation, specifically the “Sustainability Handbooks” of the QualEnv project, as a source of evidence.

This study reveals that the QualEnv Consortium's strategies have significantly improved the environmental and social performance of participating HEIs. Notably, this research identifies substantial enhancements in key sustainability metrics, including reduced carbon emissions, increased adoption of eco-friendly practices and stronger community engagement.

This study has some limitations. First, the choice of a qualitative methodological approach may constrain the generalizability of the findings. Another relevant limitation is related to the uniformity in adopting sustainable practices. The effectiveness of actions linked to the Sustainable Development Goals may depend on consistency in implementation among participating universities, and variations in this aspect can affect the direct comparison of adopted strategies.

This research contributes to the sustainability in higher education field by comprehensively examining the QualEnv Consortium's innovative approach. By focusing on QualEnv's experiences and outcomes, this research offers valuable insights and serves as a model for HEIs worldwide seeking to align their academic, research and community engagement efforts with sustainable development goals.

This study aims to propose an integrated model involving concepts of sustainability and social innovation (SI) in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Based on a literature review, the authors were able to systematize sustainability and SI knowledge, in an integrated manner. Hence, the authors sought to develop a theoretical model that would integrate categories, indicators and sub-indicators, to review initiatives in HEIs in the sustainability and SI domains. The results indicated four major categories: mission, vision and values; curriculum; campus; and healthy environment. The integrated model was applied and validated in a Brazilian educational group, using the main corporate reports as data sources.

For the educational group analyzed in this study, the themes of sustainability and SI are explicitly and implicitly expressed in the mission, vision and values category. In the curriculum category, these themes are presented through the contents of cross-disciplines in all undergraduate courses, and also through outreach activities, integrating sustainability and SI in a theoretical and/or practical way. Regarding the campus category, the mention is explicit and the HEI works with initiatives aimed at achieving a “green” campus. In the healthy environment category, the educational group studied gives priority to the establishment of a safe and healthy work environment, focusing on labor rights and relations with society.

This work contributes to the advancement of research on the promotion of sustainability and SI in HEIs, proposing an innovative integrated model of analysis for the topics covered.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategies that allow sowing social entrepreneurship initiatives among young university students in Latin America. This study will also help to understand the different needs and expectations currently treated in higher education in developing its role as a promoter of entrepreneurship in students.

The study uses a multinomial logistic regression method analysis based on data collected through an online survey and applied to a sample of 599 advanced business administration students in five Latin American countries.

The results indicate that three of the independent variables under study are relevant as strategies to instill in university students the initiative for creating social entrepreneurship: establishing links with social communities, providing entrepreneurial education with a social orientation, and offering financial education.

These research findings indicate the role universities should have in promoting social entrepreneurship in university students. Therefore, the proposed strategies are crucial to improving this type of entrepreneurship.

The main contribution of this study is to analyze issues as crucial as social entrepreneurship in Latin American university students and broaden knowledge of the main strategies universities in this region must adopt so that students launch into the social area.

El propósito de este estudio es analizar las estrategias que permitan sembrar iniciativas de emprendimiento social entre jóvenes universitarios de América Latina. Esto permitirá conocer las diferentes necesidades y expectativas que se tienen actualmente en la educación superior en el desarrollo de su papel como promotor del emprendimiento en los estudiantes.

El estudio utiliza un análisis método regresión logística multinomial basado en datos recopilados a través de una encuesta en línea, aplicada a una muestra de 599 estudiantes avanzados de administración de empresas en cinco países latinoamericanos.

Los resultados evidencian que tres de las variables independientes en estudio son relevantes como estrategia para sembrar en los estudiantes universitarios la iniciativa de crear emprendimiento social: el tener vínculos con las comunidades sociales, otorgar educación emprendedora con orientación social y el brindar educación financiera.

Los hallazgos de esta investigación señalan el rol que deben de tener las universidades para fomentar el emprendimiento social en los estudiantes universitarios. Por lo tanto, se proponen estrategias claves para mejorar este tipo de emprendimientos.

La principal contribución de este estudio es analizar temas tan importantes como el emprendimiento social en los estudiantes universitarios de América Latina y ampliar el conocimiento de las principales estrategias que deben adoptar las universidades de esta región para que los estudiantes se lancen en el área social.

O objetivo deste estudo é an analisar as estratégias que permitem semear iniciativas de empreendedorismo social entre jovens universitários da América Latina. Permitirá conhecer as diferentes necessidades e expectativas atualmente tratadas no ensino superior no desenvolvimento do seu papel de promotor do empreendedorismo nos alunos.

O estudo utiliza um método de análise de regressão logística multinomial baseado em dados coletados por meio de uma pesquisa on-line, aplicada a uma amostra de 599 estudantes avançados de administração de empresas em cinco países latino-americanos.

Os resultados mostram que três das variáveis independentes em estudo são relevantes como estratégia para incutir nos estudantes universitários a iniciativa de criar empreendedorismo social: ter ligações com comunidades sociais, proporcionar educação empreendedora com orientação social e fornecer educação financeira.

Os resultados desta investigação indicam o papel que as universidades devem ter na promoção do empreendedorismo social nos estudantes universitários. Portanto, as estratégias propostas são fundamentais para melhorar esse tipo de empreendedorismo.

A principal contribuição deste estudo é analisar temas tão importantes quanto o empreendedorismo social nos universitários latino-americanos, e ampliar o conhecimento das principais estratégias que as universidades desta região devem adotar, para que os estudantes se lancem na área social.

This paper aims to identify how the faculties of a Colombian University have understood the concept of sustainability and the way they have embedded it into their training.

Qualitative research was done using documentary and content analysis which allowed researchers to recognize features correlated to sustainability which are needed to promote and act for social equity, ecological care and economic development.

It was found that most faculties at the university do not conceptualize it; ergo, courses are designed neither for promoting sustainability nor sustainable education. Besides this, almost no level of integration was identified among faculties on this topic.

Many people agree education for sustainability is a key action to overcome the complex challenges the planet is facing; nevertheless, the prejudice that training to solve sustainability problems is an exclusive task of certain disciplines is common. This misunderstanding reduces the possibilities of pursuing a sustainable future, considering that these issues affect all humankind and that they can only be solved through interdisciplinary and collaborative work.

The paper also outlines some actions that Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) can take to consider sustainability issues, and they are as follows: identification of competencies to include in the curricula; recognition of the potential of integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into the curricula by strengthening the competencies and capacities; strengthening the competencies and capacities of the academic staff through ESD training processes; articulation of research with the curricula in such a way that the results of research processes permeate the curricula.

This study has some limitations. For instance, regarding the survey, the size of the sample may seem too small, a bigger sample will allow better information for the results. Regarding the case studies, a greater diversity of programs could have provided a wider range of results. Despite these limitations, for UPB, the study shows a snapshot of the literature review and the articulation of sustainable development and climate change education (CCE) in all programs the university has. The implications of this paper and research are the following. First, it reiterates the importance of having within the same institution a common language to talk about sustainability. Second, it recognizes the competencies and skills that should considered when implementing ESD and CCE in curricula.

This idea corresponds to a lack of debate about what the term signifies and means. It is believed that, as sustainability has been highly researched in the past two decades, it is a cross-cutting element in any faculty proposal; however, due to the complexity of the term, it is understood differently by each member of the same academic community, affecting their ability to design a systemic and systematic curriculum that enables to educate for sustainable goals.

This study aims to investigate the contribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and propose strategies to cultivate a culture centred on the SDGs in HEIs.

The methodology used encompassed an integrative literature review, combining bibliographic analysis on how HEIs incorporate the SDGs into their practices, adopting a qualitative approach for the analysis and categorization of the results.

The multifaceted contributions of HEIs in promoting the SDGs stand out, through their roles in teaching, research, management and integration and communication between university and society.

While influencing policies at various levels, HEIs encounter challenges in the effective integration of SDGs into their strategies. This underscores the need for contextualized governance, understanding students’ perspectives on sustainability and active external collaboration in policy formulation.

There is an urgent need to integrate SDGs into academic programmes, emphasizing the importance of redesigning curricula, actively involving teachers, researchers and students, establishing partnerships and promoting research applied to SDGs.

The social relevance of the study lies in the emphasis on an SDG-centred culture, involving teaching, research, outreach, community engagement and governance practices.

The study’s uniqueness lies in identifying persistent challenges during the transition to an SDG-centred culture, necessitating multisectoral collaboration and educational programmes that integrate sustainability principles into the strategy of HEIs.

In Decolonizing Methodologies (1999), Linda Tuhiwai Smith asserted that “the master’s tools of colonization will not work to decolonize what the master built.” Smith challenged Indigenous researchers to fashion “new tools for the purpose of decolonizing and Indigenous tools that can revitalize Indigenous knowledge” (p. 22). A quarter of a century later, this paper reflects on the powerful impact that Smith’s call to action has had upon recent generations of bright, politically active and culturally grounded Native Hawaiian researchers, many of whom are innovatively turning to the Native epistemologies embedded in our traditional cultural practices to craft (k)new research tools and methodologies.

This paper features three Native Hawaiian scholars who are simultaneously hula and mele (traditional Hawaiian dance and song) practitioners and who instinctively turned to their hula training to guide and indigenize their research practice.

Each of these three scholars describes how they creatively applied the Hawaiian epistemologies embedded in their hula and mele training to fashion (k)new, Indigenous methodologies to guide (1) their research conduct, (2) their data analyses or interpretations and (3) the presentation of their research findings, respectively.

These three Hawaiian scholars and hula practitioners represent a larger groundswell of Native Hawaiian researchers who are bravely and creatively drawing upon the traditional wisdom and sensitivities embedded in our cultural practices to craft and wield (k)new research tools to “dismantle the master’s house” (Lorde, 1981) and build an Indigenous hale (house) of our own.

The present study’s goal is to assess the effect of a serious game on the development of entrepreneurial competence, self-efficacy and intention and thereby contribute to clarifying the usefulness of this approach in entrepreneurship education.

The study sample and method included 76 graduate students, selected through a convenience sampling technique and collected through a self-administered questionnaire. To examine the impact of the gaming session, a pre-test post-test design approach was employed. Consequently, all students completed a survey both at the beginning and end of the gaming session.

Our study found that game-based learning effectively enhances students' entrepreneurial competence, particularly in areas like generating ideas, managing resources and taking action, while also boosting self-efficacy. However, it didn't significantly impact entrepreneurial intentions. The effectiveness depends on students' prior gaming experience, especially in resource management and taking action. Additionally, it positively influences women's self-efficacy more than men. The field of study also plays a role, with design students showing notable development in idea generation, entrepreneurial intentions, and self-efficacy. Overall, game-based learning is a valuable tool for entrepreneurship education, but its effects vary based on prior experience, gender and field of study.

Several limitations of the study should be considered. First, the small sample size acquired through convenience sampling and the potential for social response bias, even with respondent anonymity, could limit the generalizability of the study's findings. Second, the study recognizes that the effectiveness of a serious game is greatly influenced by the game's design, making findings from studies with different game-based learning approaches potentially different. Lastly, the impact of student interactions during the game session was not evaluated.

The study's practical implications are significant. It demonstrates the effectiveness of game-based learning in cultivating entrepreneurial competence and self-efficacy, particularly benefiting women and design students. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating serious games (SG) into entrepreneurship education to nurture vital entrepreneurial competences essential for students' career development as entrepreneurs or employees. The study encourages the development of SG tailored for use in entrepreneurship classes. Additionally, it underscores the need to educate educators about the advantages of incorporating game-based learning into their teaching strategies, offering a practical pathway to enhance entrepreneurship education and better prepare students for the modern job market.

The study's social implications are substantial. It highlights the effectiveness of game-based learning in nurturing entrepreneurial competence and self-efficacy, particularly benefiting women and design students. This underscores the importance of integrating Serious Games (SG) into entrepreneurship education, emphasizing the need for more SG tailored for use in entrepreneurship classes. Furthermore, it calls for increased awareness among educators about the advantages of incorporating game-based learning into their teaching methods. Ultimately, these findings have the potential to positively impact students' career development, whether as entrepreneurs or employees, by equipping them with crucial entrepreneurial skills.

This study brings a novel perspective in three distinct ways. Firstly, it centers on the pivotal entrepreneurial competences outlined in the EntreComp framework by the European Commission, addressing the challenge of identifying which competences are most relevant for entrepreneurial education. By doing so, it ensures a focus on competence areas critical for entrepreneurs, such as ideas and opportunities, resources, and action. Secondly, it explores the impact of game experience on the development of entrepreneurial competences, entrepreneurial intention, and self-efficacy, a relationship hitherto unexplored. Thirdly, the study examines how students' demographic and contextual characteristics influence the development of entrepreneurial competence, intention, and self-efficacy through a game-based learning approach. These unique perspectives contribute valuable empirical data to both theory and practice in the field of entrepreneurship education.