Sustainability in Action: Analyzing Mahasarakham University’s Integration of SDGs in Education, Research, and Operations
, Siwa Kaewplang 3, Mathinee Khotdee 4, Ounla Sivanpheng 5 and Anongrit Kangrang 3,*
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis article aims to report the analysis of the Mahasarakham University’s sustainability focus developed by the university to align with the UN Sustainability goals. The article provides a detailed representation of the development over a 4-year period.
The article is generally well constructed and provides adequate detail for the university’s process in striving to fulfil criteria established for the assessments pertaining to green university rankings.
In terms of English language, there is an overuse of adverbs and adjectives that make the article read like a marketing publication rather than academic research. Problem words are meticulous, unwavering, esteemed. I have highlighted many occurrences on the PDF and made suggestions as to whether the word could be deleted or replaced by a synonym.
The article reports an increase in courses that fulfil UN Sustainability goals, but there is no aligning indication of student enrolment and completion numbers. To me as a reader this would be interesting, although perhaps thsi numeric detail is not essential for the broad remit of this article.
I congratulate the authors on this article which details the university's ambition.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
The English language is generally well-construcuted. However, there is an overuse of adverbs and adjectives that make the article read like a marketing publication rather than academic research. Problem words are meticulous, unwavering, and esteemed. I have highlighted many occurrences on the PDF and made suggestions as to whether the word could be deleted or replaced by a synonym.
Author Response
Please find the attached files
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsSustainability in Action: Analyzing Mahasarakham University's Integration of SDGs in Education, Research, and Operations
Aspects for improvement:
1. The abstract is suggested to be structured considering: Introduction, objective, methodology, results, and conclusions.
2. In the introduction, the authors have contextualized the UI GreenMetric framework. A critical analysis considering other sustainability metrics in universities is necessary. A review of updated literature on the limitations and studies on university sustainability rankings is also required.
3. In the materials and methods section, the authors must describe the methodological procedures, techniques and instruments used, their validation criteria, and specific sources of data obtained. They must indicate the type of analysis, both qualitative and quantitative.
4. Regarding the results, there is an excess of tables and figures, but without critical analysis. This section shows an institutional description rather than an analysis based on scientific literature. It is suggested to incorporate a comparative analysis with other universities or similar contexts; this will allow for a better understanding of the object of study.
5. The discussion lacks a critical discussion of causality or generalization of results. It is suggested to discuss practical and theoretical implications.
6. The conclusions describe institutional achievements without sufficient scientific contributions or applicable general recommendations. It is suggested to: Highlight transferable learnings and recommendations applicable to other university contexts. Include a limitations section and propose future lines of research.
Author Response
Please find the attached files
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsDear Authors,
The article analyzes how Mahasarakham University has integrated the Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 4) into its education, research, and institutional operations, using the UI GreenMetric framework. Through a mixed-methods approach and institutional data from 2021 to 2024, the study demonstrates systematic progress in key sustainability indicators. It concludes that the university’s structured approach may serve as a model for institutions in emerging economies.
The manuscript is well-structured and addresses a relevant topic with an appropriate focus. However, a few minor adjustments are recommended to enhance its clarity and international impact. First, simplifying certain sections where the language is somewhat redundant would improve readability and conciseness. Additionally, including a brief critical reflection on the limitations of the UI GreenMetric framework would enrich the overall analysis. A language review by a native English speaker is also advised to improve fluency and precision, especially in expressions that could better align with academic writing conventions. Finally, placing greater emphasis on specific outcomes with social or environmental impact (e.g., the sustained increase in the number of academic programs with a sustainability focus) would strengthen the validity and relevance of the initiatives described. These minor revisions would significantly enhance the communicative value of the article.
Author Response
Please find the attached files
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsSustainability in Action: Analyzing Mahasarakham University's Integration of SDGs in Education, Research, and Operations
Aspects for improvement:
1. In the introduction, a critical analysis considering other sustainability metrics in universities is necessary.
2. In this materials and methods section, the authors should describe the research design and type at the outset.
3. The discussion lacks a critical analysis of causality or the generalizability of the results. It is suggested to discuss the practical and theoretical implications and compare them with other related studies.
Author Response
Dear Editor,
We really appreciate the second comments, which are very detailed and very helpful in improving our manuscript sustainability-3691471. We have made a minor revision to our manuscript. We have improved our manuscript following the second comments. These changes have been modified in the revised manuscript by blue color. Please find the attached files of both revised version and response to reviewers.
Sincerely,
Anongrit Kangrang
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
