REVIEW article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Higher Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1588223
This article is part of the Research TopicUniversity Education for Sustainable Development: Challenges and OpportunitiesView all 5 articles
A Holistic Approach to Sustainability in Higher Education Institutes: Social, Economic, Educational, and Mobility Perspectives
Provisionally accepted
Zohar Barnett-Itzhaki1*
Sigal Tiferet1Yaeli Etstein1Inna Gefen1Oded Ravid1Guy Barokas1
Iris Vilnai-Yavetz1
Gal Hagit Carasso Romano2Adi Levi3- 1Ruppin Academic Center, Hadera, Israel
- 2Tel-Hai College, Tel Hai, Northern District, Israel
- 3Achva Academic College, Arugot, Southern District, Israel
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Higher education institutions (HEIs) are pivotal in driving the transition to sustainability. HEIs educate future generations and adopt sustainable practices, setting an example for private and public sector organizations. This paper reviews studies and initiatives covering the fields of education, physical/mental health, economy, social sustainability, and transportation. This review aims to: 1. Identify key obstacles hindering the implementation of sustainable HEI practices. 2. Explore measures/indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of HEI sustainability initiatives. 3. Provide key recommendations to promote sustainability in HEIs. Our conclusions emphasize the critical role of HEIs in advancing social sustainability. Recommendations include developing sustainability plans, integrating sustainability into academic programs, enhancing health and well-being, ensuring economic viability through cost-benefit analyses, and promoting sustainable transportation. Stakeholder engagement, strategic assessment, and transparent reporting are essential for accountability and improvement. By implementing these strategies, HEIs can establish resilient and sustainable communities, serving as exemplary models for broader societal change.
Keywords: Higher-education, Social sustainability, Green campus, Health and environment, Transportation, Education for Sustainable Development, Sustainable campus initiatives
Received: 02 Apr 2025; Accepted: 02 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Barnett-Itzhaki, Tiferet, Etstein, Gefen, Ravid, Barokas, Vilnai-Yavetz, Carasso Romano and Levi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zohar Barnett-Itzhaki, Ruppin Academic Center, Hadera, Israel
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