Higher Education Institutions as Drivers of Sustainable …
819
local communities became more aware about the environmental challenges regarding the basin, as well as more resilient and prepared to face future challenges in the
region.
Not only community security has improved, but the plan has allowed a larger
involvement of the community in creating public policies, putting decision-makers,
university and population in the same dialogue table. This has also allowed State Government to invest in accurate and specific actions, saving time and public resources.
Since this is a complex and integrator project, it is understood that its relevance
must be highlighted once it has allowed a significative increase in the sustainability
of the region, connecting several different stakeholders and allowing an increase in
resilience and environmental awareness by all players involved. In this sense, it is
understood that HEIs such as Unisul have great capacity of changing and promoting
development through research, the “possession” of knowledge and human resources.
In this study, it is understood that the university is a central actor in promoting
sustainable development in communities. It is hoped that projects such as the Itapocu
River Basin can be replicated worldwide, respecting differences in geography, politics, society, economy and environment; and allowing communities to grow stronger
through HEIs.
Acknowledgements This study was conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Development
(Greens), from the University of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul), in the context of the project
BRIDGE—Building Resilience in a Dynamic Global Economy: Complexity across scales in the
Brazilian Food-Water-Energy Nexus; funded by the Newton Fund, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa
e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de
Nível superior (CAPES), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)
and the Research Councils United Kingdom (RCUK).
References
Aleixo AM, Leal S, Azeiteiro UM (2018) Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal. J Clean
Prod 172:1664–1673. https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.010
Alshuwaikhat HM, Abubakar I (2008) An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment of the current campus environmental management practices’. J Clean Prod
16(16):1777–1785. https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.jclepro.2007.12.002
Arksey H, O’Malley L (2005) Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res
Methodol 8(1):19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
Berchin II, Grando VDS, Marcon GA, Corseuil L, Guerra JBSODA (2017) Strategies to promote
sustainability in higher education institutions: a case study of a federal institute of higher education
in Brazil. Int J Sustain High Educ 18(7):1018–1038. https://sci-hub.tw/10.1108/IJSHE-06-20160102
Berchin II, Sima M, de Lima MA, Biesel S, dos Santos LP, Ferreira RV, de Andrade JBSO, Ceci
F (2018) The importance of international conferences on sustainable development as higher
education institutions’ strategies to promote sustainability: a case study in Brazil. J Clean Prod
171:756–772
819
local communities became more aware about the environmental challenges regarding the basin, as well as more resilient and prepared to face future challenges in the
region.
Not only community security has improved, but the plan has allowed a larger
involvement of the community in creating public policies, putting decision-makers,
university and population in the same dialogue table. This has also allowed State Government to invest in accurate and specific actions, saving time and public resources.
Since this is a complex and integrator project, it is understood that its relevance
must be highlighted once it has allowed a significative increase in the sustainability
of the region, connecting several different stakeholders and allowing an increase in
resilience and environmental awareness by all players involved. In this sense, it is
understood that HEIs such as Unisul have great capacity of changing and promoting
development through research, the “possession” of knowledge and human resources.
In this study, it is understood that the university is a central actor in promoting
sustainable development in communities. It is hoped that projects such as the Itapocu
River Basin can be replicated worldwide, respecting differences in geography, politics, society, economy and environment; and allowing communities to grow stronger
through HEIs.
Acknowledgements This study was conducted by the Centre for Sustainable Development
(Greens), from the University of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul), in the context of the project
BRIDGE—Building Resilience in a Dynamic Global Economy: Complexity across scales in the
Brazilian Food-Water-Energy Nexus; funded by the Newton Fund, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa
e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina (FAPESC), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de
Nível superior (CAPES), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)
and the Research Councils United Kingdom (RCUK).
References
Aleixo AM, Leal S, Azeiteiro UM (2018) Conceptualization of sustainable higher education institutions, roles, barriers, and challenges for sustainability: an exploratory study in Portugal. J Clean
Prod 172:1664–1673. https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.11.010
Alshuwaikhat HM, Abubakar I (2008) An integrated approach to achieving campus sustainability: assessment of the current campus environmental management practices’. J Clean Prod
16(16):1777–1785. https://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/j.jclepro.2007.12.002
Arksey H, O’Malley L (2005) Scoping studies: towards a methodological framework. Int J Soc Res
Methodol 8(1):19–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
Berchin II, Grando VDS, Marcon GA, Corseuil L, Guerra JBSODA (2017) Strategies to promote
sustainability in higher education institutions: a case study of a federal institute of higher education
in Brazil. Int J Sustain High Educ 18(7):1018–1038. https://sci-hub.tw/10.1108/IJSHE-06-20160102
Berchin II, Sima M, de Lima MA, Biesel S, dos Santos LP, Ferreira RV, de Andrade JBSO, Ceci
F (2018) The importance of international conferences on sustainable development as higher
education institutions’ strategies to promote sustainability: a case study in Brazil. J Clean Prod
171:756–772