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This study aims to determine how sustainable development (SD) demands (according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) SD themes from 2005) are connected to the contents of education, research, development and innovation (RDI) in higher education institutions (HEI). Education and the RDI nexus may affect HEI’s capability to handle SD-related wicked problems and enhance their societal impact.

This paper examined SD-oriented curricula contents of two universities (Brazil and Finland) and counted the number of SD-related research outcomes. In addition, conceptual modelling was used to analyse the mechanisms that may be directing HEIs’ SD work in local innovation.

The data showed a convergence deviation in the RDI of SD-related subjects between the two HEIs. There was no correlation between SD-oriented education and RDI-work in either HEI. Education and RDI processes have different UNECE SD themes at the focal point, and the education-research nexus is lacking. This difference indicates that new SD-related knowledge produced through RDI was not effectively used in education. Modelling revealed that the convergence in RDI outcomes arose from the same kind of local business, industry and societal challenges, implementing effective stakeholder pressures into HEIs. The results may indicate that stakeholder SD needs were not directly transferred into the competence qualification of the curriculum.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to reveal the independence of universities’ SD-related RDI subjects on educational curricula.

The universities of applied sciences (UASs) in Finland play a significant role in providing skilled professionals with higher education degrees to meet the needs of the labor market and society as a whole. The purpose of this study is to determine what the staff in these universities consider the role of UASs in promoting sustainable development (SD) to be.

The qualitative research data were collected from a survey distributed among UAS staff in the spring of 2021. The data consisted of 831 responses to an open-ended question on how UASs could promote SD and a sense of responsibility for it. The method used for the data analysis was theory-led content analysis.

Staff at UASs are actively promoting SD in higher education and have many ideas on how to do this, which is encouraging. With further processing of these ideas and support from management, UASs can play a more important role in sustainability work and set an example for how to build a sustainable future.

The promotion of SD is a timely topic, and examples of SD implementation and good practices can promote discussion of the role of higher education institutions in SD promotion and highlight collective ways to promote it.

The aim of this paper is to measure students' perception towards sustainable development (SD) concept. The paper highlights students' perception before and after joining Heliopolis University (HU). Also, the research underscores different activities, facilities and methods HU is implementing to sharpen the delivery of SD concept. Furthermore, the study emphasizes on the extent to which students are anticipating implementing SD concept in their life.

The research paper is an exploratory qualitative research design. The sample frame was the database of HU. A non-probability convenient sampling approach was applied to select 26 elements of the study. In-depth personal interviews were conducted. Questions were coded to facilitate analysis and to link respondents' answers with different questions. Accordingly, 12 structured open-ended questions were designed to gain clear insights regarding students' awareness of SD. Personal interviews took place at the end of fall semester 2012.

Students' responses were classified into observations and realization, needs and suggestions, and future plans. All students confirmed interest to apply SD in their lives.

This research is limited only to HU students, which is considered a limitation of the research findings. Another limitation is that the study is an exploratory qualitative research, which could be enhanced if a conclusive design is applied. However, both limitations are considered within the context of conducting future research. One is related to the expansion of the sample frame to include more diversified students, and the other to conduct a conclusive research for fine-tuning the results and recommendations.

The paper's value stems from measuring multi-disciplinary freshmen perception regarding SD concept at HU, which is the first non-for-profit university in Egypt and the Middle East declaring SD as its overall guiding principle and specialization. Moreover, the paper provides insights on SD concept from a developing country perspective.

In Japan, the first state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic was declared from April to May 2020, and it was recommended that people stay home. In this study, parents were asked (using an internet questionnaire) how their children spend time at home compared to their usual activities during this period. We conducted a cluster analysis of change patterns of indoor activities among preschool children aged three to six years (n = 1.036). The cluster analysis examined whether watching videos, playing video games, engaging in active play, taking part in art activities, and joint reading of books/picture books increased or decreased compared to normal times. Two-step cluster analysis suggested five subgroups: (1) all indoor activities were almost the same as usual, (2) video viewing and art activities increased, and active play decreased, (3) video viewing, art activities, and active play increased, (4) video viewing, computer games, art activities increased, and active play declined, and (5) video viewing and computer games increased, and all other activities decreased. Of these subgroups, it is considered that particular attention should be paid to the developmental risks of Clusters 4 and 5, who might have spent more time doing digital activities and taken part in fewer interactive activities. In addition, it was indicated that these patterns were related to parental mental health and demographic characteristics. It remains to examine the support in such case considering the possibility that less participation in interactive activities and worse mental health of parents may have negative effects on development of children.

This study aims to examine the mediating role of students’ knowledge of sustainable development (SD) in the relationship between green campus initiatives by higher education institutions (HEIs) and student proactivity.

The research, with a quantitative approach, was carried out with students linked to HEIs belonging to the Sustainable Campus Network – Portugal (RCS-PT).

It was concluded that communications of HEI SD initiatives, green campus operations and approach to SD in the classroom have a positive and significant effect on students’ proactivity toward SD. It was also concluded that SD-oriented student knowledge is a mediator in these relationships.

An underlying argument is that students with SD-oriented knowledge engage in proactive behaviors, taking the best HEI initiatives as a precedent among students of the HEIs belonging to the RCS-PT.

HEI initiatives can be drivers for proactive student behaviors regarding SD. Thus, this study brings guidance to university leaders and other stakeholders. The findings can also be useful for those involved in planning SD-oriented actions in HEIs.

Strengthen the role of higher education as co-creators of change by promoting the principles of SD in future professionals. Education is a strong instrument for behavioral change, so HEIs play a fundamental role here having a direct impact on society.

This research sought to expand the dialogue about SD in HEIs, especially in achieving sustainable development goals, intertwined with the idea of participation and engagement of students.

This paper intends to verify the extent to which Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects intend to contribute to sustainable development (SD) in Brazil, one of the top three leading countries in terms of the number of CDM projects. The authors assess the impact of CDMs not only in environmental aspects, but also social and economic ones.

The authors define a set of qualitative sustainability indicators and scrutinize documents regarding a sample of almost half of all the projects registered in Brazil between 2004 and 2020 (219 projects).

The findings of this study contradict many previous studies finding very limited evidence of SD in CDMs in many different countries: most projects in Brazil intend to contribute to some extent with SD, with 91% and 75% claiming to improve social and economic aspects, respectively.

The authors derive lessons from Brazil that can be used in other researches.

The authors derive lessons from Brazil and propose paths for public policy toward encouraging sustainable development.

The empirical data set relies on data collected directly from each of the projects in Brazil (roughly half of all of them) between 2004 and 2020. This is not only up to date, but pushes further the analytical scope of previous works.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of supplier development activities (SDAs) in the context of three major performance outcomes (POs), i.e. supplier performance improvement (SPI), buyer’s competitive advantage improvement (BCAI) and buyer-supplier relationship improvement (BSRI).

A survey was conducted of 214 manufacturing organizations and the data were analyzed using factor analysis, correlation analysis and multiple hierarchical regression analysis.

This paper categorizes the identified 28 SDAs and 33 POs into five and three major categories of SDAs and POs, respectively. The results indicate a significant relationship between each aspect of SDAs and POs, except investment. The effect of each category of SDA is determined through a developed framework.

This present study analyzes the SDAs and POs from the buyer’s point of view. A paired buyer and supplier data may provide some additional information about the relationship between SDAs and POs.

The outcome of this study will provide significant information for managers and academicians who are involved in outsourcing.

For the first time, the relationship and effect of each category of SDAs was analyzed in combination with three major POs, i.e. SPI, BSRI and BCAI.

This study aims to investigate the effect of media coverage, negative media tone and the interaction between negative media tone and independent non-executive directors (INEDs) on strategic information disclosure (SD).

The authors rely on media agenda-setting theory, agency theory and a panel data set of 52 UAE non-financial listed firms from 2009 to 2016. Multivariate regressions examine the effect of media coverage and negative media tone on SD and examine the moderation of INEDs on the effect of negative media tone on SD while controlling for firm size, board size, board meeting frequency, firm profitability and leverage.

The results show that negative media tone has a negative effect on SD, and there is no association between media coverage and SD. The results show that INEDs are negatively associated with SD and have a negative moderating effect on the negative media tone–SD relationship. INEDs follow a conservative approach, encouraging less SD when their firms face negative media tone.

The authors measured media coverage and negative media tone by the number of news articles. In the robustness test, they use media tone score. They measured SD using an index that captures firm strategy dimensions. Though these measures are inherently subjective, they were used to measure variation in media coverage, media tone and SD across listed UAE non-financial firms. Mitigation of subjectivity was achieved through rigorous cross-checking measurements.

Findings assist UAE policymakers and the international business community with insights related to articulation of media to SD and INEDs’ role in moderating the effect of media on SD.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that combines media agenda-setting theory with agency theory and SD in an emerging market economy (the UAE). The study is also among the few studies that illustrate the possible role of INEDs under different media tones in emerging markets.

This study aims to expand knowledge and provide further insights on how education for sustainable development (ESD) has been integrated into programmes at higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal.

A questionnaire survey was given to key actors in charge of sustainability implementation at each Portuguese public university. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 13 of the survey respondents and the data were analysed.

Results showed that Portuguese public universities have their own strategies and policies on ESD, leading them to introduce initiatives arising from their proactiveness rather than governmental edicts. Some universities implemented ESD planning and beneficial “green” practices such as waste separation and recycling and ways to reduce energy consumption that can be a result of the improvement after the United Nations Decade 2005-2014. However, these actions seem to have been taken in isolation and not holistically integrated. Universities face many barriers including lack of funding, not properly trained people and inept government policies. They also must overcome challenges in implementing ESD.

This research into the implementation of ESD has a national scope; the findings should be interpreted only in a Portuguese university context despite the high number of interviewees.

The study has increased knowledge, provided further insights on how ESD has been integrated at HEIs and provided examples of integrated practices at Portuguese universities. A Sustainability4U platform was proposed for enhancing awareness of the need for increasing sustainable development.

This study contributes to defining a country’s profile and how to implement sustainability in HEIs. The importance of obtaining information from key actors in sustainability at Portuguese public universities was highlighted.

The purpose of this paper is to present information about a team‐teaching course on sustainable development (SD) for educators in an institution of higher education, Monterrey Campus of ITESM in México.

Four faculty members were invited to work together with the Sustainable Campus Programme coordinator in the process of developing the “Educate‐the‐Educator's” SD course. The course was structured using lectures, readings, class role play activities, homework, and general discussion. Additionally, a workshop‐format was woven throughout the course; its function was to help the educators incorporate SD issues within their own courses.

It was found that a multi‐disciplinarily developed and delivered course is an effective vehicle for educating educators on SD. Documentation of some facets of the learning process further helped the “students” and the course leaders to better understand the whole learning process.

The paper's value rests on the interconnected structure, showing resonance with the triple bottom line, as well as many other dimensions linked with sustainable development. This structure increased the course participants' comprehension of sustainability. Furthermore, the use of concept maps and digraph theory to evaluate “faculty participants'” comprehension of the interconnections and dimensions of SD proved to be a successful innovation.