Sustainable Campuses as Living Labs
for Sustainable Development:
An Overview of a Brazilian Community
University
Issa Ibrahim Berchin, Wellyngton Silva de Amorim,
Isabela Blasi Valduga, Mauri Luiz Heerdt
and José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra
Abstract The growing societal demands for higher education institutions (HEIs)’
actions towards sustainable development, characterize these institutions as powerful
drivers of change. Accordingly, this paper aims to understand how sustainable campuses, as living labs, promote innovations for sustainable development through the
case of a Brazilian Community University. To accomplish this objective, this study
presents a review of literature on sustainable development at universities, followed
by the analysis of the case of a Brazilian Community University, the University
of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul). For the data collection, we performed semi
structured qualitative interviews with 15 faculty members of Unisul, aligned with
the review of the university’s institutional documents and the categories mapped in
the literature. The implementation of sustainable campuses as living labs at HEIs
creates a propitious environment for innovation and practical learning, motivating
both internal and external communities, leading society towards sustainable development. Thus, as a community university, Unisul promotes several practices to engage
the community through education, capacity building, research, outreach, academic
events, consulting on business, architectural assistance and medical consulting to the
community, legal assistance, medical clinics, also promoting sustainability in campuses’ infrastructure, inspiring the local communities to incorporate the university’s
sustainable values.
I. I. Berchin (B) · W. S. de Amorim · I. B. Valduga · M. L. Heerdt · J. B. S. O. de Andrade Guerra
Research Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (Greens),
Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Unisul), 219 Trajano, Centro, Florianópolis, Santa
Catarina, Brazil
e-mail: issa.berchin@gmail.com
W. S. de Amorim
e-mail: wellyngton.amorim@gmail.com
I. B. Valduga
e-mail: blasi.isabela@gmail.com
M. L. Heerdt
e-mail: mauri.heerdt@unisul.br
J. B. S. O. de Andrade Guerra
e-mail: baltazar.guerra@unisul.br
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_6
87
for Sustainable Development:
An Overview of a Brazilian Community
University
Issa Ibrahim Berchin, Wellyngton Silva de Amorim,
Isabela Blasi Valduga, Mauri Luiz Heerdt
and José Baltazar Salgueirinho Osório de Andrade Guerra
Abstract The growing societal demands for higher education institutions (HEIs)’
actions towards sustainable development, characterize these institutions as powerful
drivers of change. Accordingly, this paper aims to understand how sustainable campuses, as living labs, promote innovations for sustainable development through the
case of a Brazilian Community University. To accomplish this objective, this study
presents a review of literature on sustainable development at universities, followed
by the analysis of the case of a Brazilian Community University, the University
of Southern Santa Catarina (Unisul). For the data collection, we performed semi
structured qualitative interviews with 15 faculty members of Unisul, aligned with
the review of the university’s institutional documents and the categories mapped in
the literature. The implementation of sustainable campuses as living labs at HEIs
creates a propitious environment for innovation and practical learning, motivating
both internal and external communities, leading society towards sustainable development. Thus, as a community university, Unisul promotes several practices to engage
the community through education, capacity building, research, outreach, academic
events, consulting on business, architectural assistance and medical consulting to the
community, legal assistance, medical clinics, also promoting sustainability in campuses’ infrastructure, inspiring the local communities to incorporate the university’s
sustainable values.
I. I. Berchin (B) · W. S. de Amorim · I. B. Valduga · M. L. Heerdt · J. B. S. O. de Andrade Guerra
Research Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (Greens),
Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Unisul), 219 Trajano, Centro, Florianópolis, Santa
Catarina, Brazil
e-mail: issa.berchin@gmail.com
W. S. de Amorim
e-mail: wellyngton.amorim@gmail.com
I. B. Valduga
e-mail: blasi.isabela@gmail.com
M. L. Heerdt
e-mail: mauri.heerdt@unisul.br
J. B. S. O. de Andrade Guerra
e-mail: baltazar.guerra@unisul.br
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development,
World Sustainability Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15604-6_6
87