Research on the Role of Universities in Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

We are seeking submissions for an upcoming Special Issue of Administrative Sciences on the Role of Universities in Social Responsibility and Sustainability.

Over the last twenty years, researchers have explored the societal value of ethical behavior. University plays an essential role in the development of educational strategies, with greater responsibility as a consequence (Asemah et al. 2013; Maresova et al. 2019; Ramos-Monge et al. 2017). The term university social responsibility (USR) is explained as the capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs) to disseminate and implement a set of principles, as well as general and specific values aimed at enhancing the educational and social challenges of society through four key processes: management, teaching, research, and extension (Ramos-Monge et al 2017:1). In accordance with these challenges, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability through Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also taking a relevant position for organizations and universities (Costa et al. 2021). On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, and in the midst of a pandemic that is radically transforming our economies and societies, this call for papers aims to explore the relevance of universities’ adoption of CSR and sustainable strategies (United Nations, 2022).

We are seeking submissions that illustrate the role of universities in the integration and development of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability.

Topics might address:

• Specific SDGs contribution by universities;
• Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable practices related decision-making by universities;
• Theoretical frameworks which explore the role of universities in the development of CSR and Sustainability.

We are most interested in:

• Empirical research which illustrates the value of universities adopting CSR and sustainable strategies and practices.
• Research which implements qualitative methodologies and mixed methods about the role and

We solicit original manuscripts that are grounded in the literature and provoke our thinking about the value of universities introducing social, economic, and environmental concerns. Systematic literature reviews and empirical articles using qualitative research and mixed methods are encouraged. We hope that you will make a contribution to this important issue. Potential authors should adhere to the following deadlines.

Deadlines for submissions:

Manuscripts should be submitted online by December 31 2022 and should follow the Submission Guidelines. All submission will be subject to a double-blind review process.

Dr. Jesus Barrena-Martínez
Dr. Elva Lizeth Ramos-Monge
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Administrative Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.