The Integration of Competencies for Sustainable …
601
“deep professional skills about finance, marketing or human resource management”
(R4).
Another barrier relates to the different structure of study programmes. As it was
mentioned, some programmes have a special SD course and thus the students of
these programmes are supposed to have deeper knowledge on SD. Almost all heads
of study programmes mentioned that they would like to have a combined (vertical
and horizontal) pathway for embedding competencies for SD in their programmes.
The third barrier quite frequently suggested was the insufficient maturity level of
society: “people and young generation still are on the way to understanding that it
is not too early to deal with all issues from the sustainable development perspective;
we are significantly too late” (R7).
The main value of integrating the SD competencies. All heads of study programmes
acknowledged the value of the SD competencies integration. The perception of value
was based not only on ethical assumptions, but also on future leaders concept (Cortese
2003). A representative of one study programme underlined that: “competencies for
SD enable the future business people to create the world we all would like to live
in” (R2). The majority of heads ascribed the quality of bachelor or master theses to
competencies of SD, as: “I believe that the integration of competencies for SD allows
the students to demonstrate such skills and knowledge, which would be impossible
without SD” (R3).
From the above analysis, it appears that there is no considerable distinction
between different study programmes and different levels (undergraduate and graduate) as regards the implementation of SD competencies. Several reasons could
explain these findings. Firstly, the University pursues a centralization policy and the
main principles are applied to all programmes. Secondly, each head is responsible for
both undergraduate and graduate programmes in the same field (for instance, finance,
human resource management) and this could lead to programme assimilation in terms
of competencies.
6 Conclusions
The study revealed that the heads of study programmes of a non-elite university
prioritised the key sustainable development competencies such as systems thinking, strategic thinking and collaboration. Anticipatory, self-awareness and normative
competencies appear at the end of priority list. Overall, the teachers’ professionalism
and expertise played the most important roles in the integration of SD competencies.
The present study has shown that the role of teachers was overestimated. The heads
of study programmes expected spontaneous integration of SD competencies into the
curriculum, even it was not reported.
This study contributes to the literature on competencies for sustainable development in higher education, showing how the heads of study programmes of a non-elite
university engaged in SD competencies’ integration pathways. Empirical evidence
shows the limitations of SD competencies integration processes in university curric-
601
“deep professional skills about finance, marketing or human resource management”
(R4).
Another barrier relates to the different structure of study programmes. As it was
mentioned, some programmes have a special SD course and thus the students of
these programmes are supposed to have deeper knowledge on SD. Almost all heads
of study programmes mentioned that they would like to have a combined (vertical
and horizontal) pathway for embedding competencies for SD in their programmes.
The third barrier quite frequently suggested was the insufficient maturity level of
society: “people and young generation still are on the way to understanding that it
is not too early to deal with all issues from the sustainable development perspective;
we are significantly too late” (R7).
The main value of integrating the SD competencies. All heads of study programmes
acknowledged the value of the SD competencies integration. The perception of value
was based not only on ethical assumptions, but also on future leaders concept (Cortese
2003). A representative of one study programme underlined that: “competencies for
SD enable the future business people to create the world we all would like to live
in” (R2). The majority of heads ascribed the quality of bachelor or master theses to
competencies of SD, as: “I believe that the integration of competencies for SD allows
the students to demonstrate such skills and knowledge, which would be impossible
without SD” (R3).
From the above analysis, it appears that there is no considerable distinction
between different study programmes and different levels (undergraduate and graduate) as regards the implementation of SD competencies. Several reasons could
explain these findings. Firstly, the University pursues a centralization policy and the
main principles are applied to all programmes. Secondly, each head is responsible for
both undergraduate and graduate programmes in the same field (for instance, finance,
human resource management) and this could lead to programme assimilation in terms
of competencies.
6 Conclusions
The study revealed that the heads of study programmes of a non-elite university
prioritised the key sustainable development competencies such as systems thinking, strategic thinking and collaboration. Anticipatory, self-awareness and normative
competencies appear at the end of priority list. Overall, the teachers’ professionalism
and expertise played the most important roles in the integration of SD competencies.
The present study has shown that the role of teachers was overestimated. The heads
of study programmes expected spontaneous integration of SD competencies into the
curriculum, even it was not reported.
This study contributes to the literature on competencies for sustainable development in higher education, showing how the heads of study programmes of a non-elite
university engaged in SD competencies’ integration pathways. Empirical evidence
shows the limitations of SD competencies integration processes in university curric-