Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in Higher Education Sector: the Development of Practice-Relevant Indicators. Case Study for German Universities Based on the UNISIMS Project
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Date
2025-05-27
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Abstract
Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a major role in advancing sustainability through
teaching, research, and institutional management. However, inconsistencies in sustainability
assessment and reporting practices persist across the higher education sector due to a missing
standardised framework that incorporates practice-specific and sector-specific characteristics.
Thus, this thesis aims to develop practically relevant sustainability indicators for HEIs, using
the UNISIMS project as a case study to explore and validate these indicators in German HEIs.
A participatory approach involving key stakeholders has been employed to develop and validate
sustainability assessment indicators. The research addresses the two fundamental questions:
1. How can sustainability assessment and reporting be developed using a participatory
approach?
2. How can such an approach be implemented in the reporting practices of German HEIs?
This study provides a systematic literature review, stakeholder engagement and iterative testing
to induce the development of sustainability indicators. The findings reveal significant variations
in how HEIs integrate sustainability into teaching and research. Institutions with established
governance structures demonstrated stronger sustainability integration, whereas those without
such frameworks remained in the initial stages of implementation.
While the UNISIMS project is a major contemporary advancement, this thesis identifies several
ongoing challenges, including data collection, reporting standardisation, resource shortage and
various institutional engagements. It emphasises the need for practice-oriented, institution-specific
indicators that reflect the diversity of sustainability challenges faced by HEIs. Beyond its
immediate application within German HEIs, this research holds global relevance for sustainability
assessment in higher education.
Future research should focus on the applicability of the UNISIMS model beyond Germany.
International cooperation in sustainability reporting and assessment could induce a long-term
implementation of the UNISIMS indicators and become the standard framework for the international
higher education sector.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a major role in advancing sustainability through teaching, research, and institutional management. However, inconsistencies in sustainability assessment and reporting practices persist across the higher education sector due to a missing standardised framework that incorporates practice-specific and sector-specific characteristics. Thus, this thesis aims to develop practically relevant sustainability indicators for HEIs, using the UNISIMS project as a case study to explore and validate these indicators in German HEIs. A participatory approach involving key stakeholders has been employed to develop and validate sustainability assessment indicators. The research addresses the two fundamental questions: 1. How can sustainability assessment and reporting be developed using a participatory approach? 2. How can such an approach be implemented in the reporting practices of German HEIs? This study provides a systematic literature review, stakeholder engagement and iterative testing to induce the development of sustainability indicators. The findings reveal significant variations in how HEIs integrate sustainability into teaching and research. Institutions with established governance structures demonstrated stronger sustainability integration, whereas those without such frameworks remained in the initial stages of implementation. While the UNISIMS project is a major contemporary advancement, this thesis identifies several ongoing challenges, including data collection, reporting standardisation, resource shortage and various institutional engagements. It emphasises the need for practice-oriented, institution-specific indicators that reflect the diversity of sustainability challenges faced by HEIs. Beyond its immediate application within German HEIs, this research holds global relevance for sustainability assessment in higher education. Future research should focus on the applicability of the UNISIMS model beyond Germany. International cooperation in sustainability reporting and assessment could induce a long-term implementation of the UNISIMS indicators and become the standard framework for the international higher education sector.
Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a major role in advancing sustainability through teaching, research, and institutional management. However, inconsistencies in sustainability assessment and reporting practices persist across the higher education sector due to a missing standardised framework that incorporates practice-specific and sector-specific characteristics. Thus, this thesis aims to develop practically relevant sustainability indicators for HEIs, using the UNISIMS project as a case study to explore and validate these indicators in German HEIs. A participatory approach involving key stakeholders has been employed to develop and validate sustainability assessment indicators. The research addresses the two fundamental questions: 1. How can sustainability assessment and reporting be developed using a participatory approach? 2. How can such an approach be implemented in the reporting practices of German HEIs? This study provides a systematic literature review, stakeholder engagement and iterative testing to induce the development of sustainability indicators. The findings reveal significant variations in how HEIs integrate sustainability into teaching and research. Institutions with established governance structures demonstrated stronger sustainability integration, whereas those without such frameworks remained in the initial stages of implementation. While the UNISIMS project is a major contemporary advancement, this thesis identifies several ongoing challenges, including data collection, reporting standardisation, resource shortage and various institutional engagements. It emphasises the need for practice-oriented, institution-specific indicators that reflect the diversity of sustainability challenges faced by HEIs. Beyond its immediate application within German HEIs, this research holds global relevance for sustainability assessment in higher education. Future research should focus on the applicability of the UNISIMS model beyond Germany. International cooperation in sustainability reporting and assessment could induce a long-term implementation of the UNISIMS indicators and become the standard framework for the international higher education sector.
Description
Subject(s)
Higher education sector, stakeholder theory, participatory approach, higher education
institutions (HEIs), UNISIMS project