The Integration of Competencies for Sustainable …
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The most relevant competencies of SD in the context of each study programme from
the point of view of the heads of study programmes. All heads of study programmes
underlined the importance of SD and the necessity to deal with competencies for
SD in the framework of their study programmes. The findings differ only slightly
comparing the undergraduate and graduate study programmes. The majority of the
heads of study programmes emphasised that for undergraduate programmes, systems
thinking, strategic competency and collaboration competency were of high relevance.
Less important for the undergraduate programmes were integrated problem-solving
competency and self-awareness competency. In case of graduate programmes, all
competencies of SD suggested by UNESCO (2017) were treated by study programme
heads as highly relevant. One of the interviewees commented: “I cannot imagine if
and how our students could run business without having these competencies” (R4).
Such attitude of heads matches the growing commitment of HEIs to SD expressed
by integrating SD into different aspects of universities, also in curricula (Lambrechts
et al. 2013).
The extent to which the competencies of SD are integrated in study programmes.
What are the intentions and actual behaviour of the heads of study programmes as
regards the SD competencies? The findings revealed that the integration of competencies of SD in study programmes at non-elite university is still underestimated. The
heads of study programmes indicated that integration was deeper in graduate programmes; however, undergraduate programmes also strove to integrate competencies
for SD. One of the heads shared his experience: “the integration of competencies of
SD in a graduate programme requires less efforts as master students usually deal
with real business issues which are mainly related with integration of 3 P—profit,
planet and people” (R5). However, several respondents maintained an opposite position arguing that: “in our university, the duration of an undergraduate programme
is 4 years and for the graduate programme we have only 2 years. This means that
competencies in undergraduate programmes could be more clearly expressed” (R7).
It should be emphasised that study programmes differ by the pathways the competencies are integrated in study programmes. Several programmes have a compulsory
SD course for bachelor and for master students. One undergraduate study programme
has even two courses: a special SD course and also a Corporate social responsibility course. However, the majority of programmes employed a horizontal approach
by embedding the competencies into different courses. Such findings are in line
with Lambrechts et al. (2013) research, which revealed that competencies for SD
are passed onto the students in an “unofficial” way, because they are not explicitly
positioned within the context of SD. Moreover, it is highly complicated to determine
which courses or programmes include sustainability aspects. As Stough et al. (2018)
concluded, the approach used to assess the integration of sustainability in courses
drastically influenced the results.
The findings of the current research disclosed that the systems thinking and collaboration are the most integrated competencies in undergraduate programmes. One
head emphasised that: “our programme focuses much on relations between stakeholders, accordingly I am convinced that systems thinking competency is one of
the highly integrated competencies” (R1). Less integrated was the anticipatory com-
599
The most relevant competencies of SD in the context of each study programme from
the point of view of the heads of study programmes. All heads of study programmes
underlined the importance of SD and the necessity to deal with competencies for
SD in the framework of their study programmes. The findings differ only slightly
comparing the undergraduate and graduate study programmes. The majority of the
heads of study programmes emphasised that for undergraduate programmes, systems
thinking, strategic competency and collaboration competency were of high relevance.
Less important for the undergraduate programmes were integrated problem-solving
competency and self-awareness competency. In case of graduate programmes, all
competencies of SD suggested by UNESCO (2017) were treated by study programme
heads as highly relevant. One of the interviewees commented: “I cannot imagine if
and how our students could run business without having these competencies” (R4).
Such attitude of heads matches the growing commitment of HEIs to SD expressed
by integrating SD into different aspects of universities, also in curricula (Lambrechts
et al. 2013).
The extent to which the competencies of SD are integrated in study programmes.
What are the intentions and actual behaviour of the heads of study programmes as
regards the SD competencies? The findings revealed that the integration of competencies of SD in study programmes at non-elite university is still underestimated. The
heads of study programmes indicated that integration was deeper in graduate programmes; however, undergraduate programmes also strove to integrate competencies
for SD. One of the heads shared his experience: “the integration of competencies of
SD in a graduate programme requires less efforts as master students usually deal
with real business issues which are mainly related with integration of 3 P—profit,
planet and people” (R5). However, several respondents maintained an opposite position arguing that: “in our university, the duration of an undergraduate programme
is 4 years and for the graduate programme we have only 2 years. This means that
competencies in undergraduate programmes could be more clearly expressed” (R7).
It should be emphasised that study programmes differ by the pathways the competencies are integrated in study programmes. Several programmes have a compulsory
SD course for bachelor and for master students. One undergraduate study programme
has even two courses: a special SD course and also a Corporate social responsibility course. However, the majority of programmes employed a horizontal approach
by embedding the competencies into different courses. Such findings are in line
with Lambrechts et al. (2013) research, which revealed that competencies for SD
are passed onto the students in an “unofficial” way, because they are not explicitly
positioned within the context of SD. Moreover, it is highly complicated to determine
which courses or programmes include sustainability aspects. As Stough et al. (2018)
concluded, the approach used to assess the integration of sustainability in courses
drastically influenced the results.
The findings of the current research disclosed that the systems thinking and collaboration are the most integrated competencies in undergraduate programmes. One
head emphasised that: “our programme focuses much on relations between stakeholders, accordingly I am convinced that systems thinking competency is one of
the highly integrated competencies” (R1). Less integrated was the anticipatory com-