Transformation and Sustainability in Higher Education: Emerging Issues and the Research Developments

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue aims to investigate the critical role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in promoting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The concept of sustainability is multidimensional, affecting all aspects of life—educational, social, environmental, and economic—in such a way that either the progression or regression of one dimension affects the others, with universal consequences. Responding to sustainability needs, values, and competences, HEIs need to redefine their goals, content, and modes of delivery of their programs, as well as expand their internalization and partnerships with institutions and other bodies beyond universities.

Collaboration among institutions, not only educational ones, seems necessary to establish joint contributions and interdisciplinary approaches to fostering peace, fighting against global warming, reducing north/south inequalities and poverty, eliminating the marginalization of women and girls, and protecting the environment. From another perspective, promoting the internationalization of higher education is expected to transform HEIs to better serve broader societal goals. Thus, the impact of transformation and sustainability in higher education is twofold, where these institutions will better contribute to the transformation and sustainability of universal society while also becoming more sustainable themselves to serve societal needs. HEIs are expected to undergo significant and consistent changes to not only continue being pioneers but also ensure that they can promote the sustainability goals and a different vision for the world that will “improve everyone’s quality of life” (UNESCO 2005).

The COVID-19 pandemic forced several mandatory and unexpected changes in the educational field globally, mainly affecting the existing programs and the teaching and learning models in higher education by establishing distanced/e-learning programs, due to the closure of universities. Changing the traditional methods of learning to e-learning “rooms” appeared to adequately facilitate the transfer of knowledge and even made collaboration among institutions easier. Although digital transformation has been the main means of revolutionizing societies and remains strongly related to their sustainable development, the inspiration of face-to-face communication is missing, a factor that affects the effectiveness of actions aimed at changing attitudes and the mindset of a society. How do these changes affect the achievement of the desired sustainability goals? 

Moreover, the rapid development of artificial intelligence is driving systemic changes in every function and aspect of academic institutions and not just in the context of the aims and methodology of teaching and learning. How are higher education institutions responding to the challenge of AI, and in what way will it be used for the promotion of the vision of education for sustainable development?

The Special Issue on “Transformation and Sustainability in Higher Education: Emerging Issues and the Research Developments” invites original theoretical and research articles investigating the emerging issues and recent developments in the transformation and sustainability of higher education in a rapidly changing world.

Prof. Dr. Mary Koutselini
Dr. Lefkios Neophytou
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 single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

• transformation
• UN sustainable development goals
• sustainability
• artificial intelligence
• distance learning
• HEIs’ internalization
• partnerships
• societal needs