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Article

Establishing the Regional Sustainable Developmental Role of Universities—From the Multilevel-Perspective (MLP) and Beyond

1
Department of Economics and Social Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, 1180 Vienna, Austria
2
Department of Geography, Philipps-University Marburg, 35032 Marburg, Germany
3
Sustainify GmbH, Hanover and Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, 30419 Hanover, Germany
4
Institute of Geography and Geology, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Clemens Mader
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 6987; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13136987
Received: 29 April 2021 / Revised: 24 May 2021 / Accepted: 26 May 2021 / Published: 22 June 2021
This article establishes the multilevel perspective (MLP) as one of the main research approaches in transition research to study complex systemic change processes in socio-technical systems at different structural levels. The application of the MLP to the higher education system, especially to conceptualize the transition of universities towards a sustainable (regional) developmental role, is still in its infancy. Through using a descriptive narrative analysis of seminal articles, the results of the four-years cooperation within an expert working group, and own empirical findings, the present paper investigates the suitability of the MLP to study the transition of universities and university systems towards a sustainable developmental role in the regional context. Based on these investigations, three further perspectives (which must be considered for establishing a more comprehensive understanding of the universities’ sustainable developmental role) are identified and conceptualized: (a) The target dimension of sustainable regional development, (b) the role of agency, and (c) the introduction of space and place to multiscalar regional transitions. Based on these perspectives, a future research agenda beyond the MLP is developed. View Full-Text
Keywords: sustainable developmental role; regional sustainable development; higher education; multilevel perspective; agency; place and space; universities sustainable developmental role; regional sustainable development; higher education; multilevel perspective; agency; place and space; universities
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MDPI and ACS Style

Radinger-Peer, V.; Pflitsch, G.; Kanning, H.; Schiller, D. Establishing the Regional Sustainable Developmental Role of Universities—From the Multilevel-Perspective (MLP) and Beyond. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6987. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13136987

AMA Style

Radinger-Peer V, Pflitsch G, Kanning H, Schiller D. Establishing the Regional Sustainable Developmental Role of Universities—From the Multilevel-Perspective (MLP) and Beyond. Sustainability. 2021; 13(13):6987. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13136987

Chicago/Turabian Style

Radinger-Peer, Verena, Gesa Pflitsch, Helga Kanning, and Daniel Schiller. 2021. "Establishing the Regional Sustainable Developmental Role of Universities—From the Multilevel-Perspective (MLP) and Beyond" Sustainability 13, no. 13: 6987. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13136987

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