Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in Higher Education Sector: the Development of Practice-Relevant Indicators. Case Study for German Universities Based on the UNISIMS Project

B.A. Alexandra Espinosa Rojas

Diplomová práce

Sustainability Assessment and Reporting in Higher Education Sector:

Anotace:

Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a major role in advancing sustainability through teaching, research, and institutional management. However, inconsistencies in sustainability assessment and reporting practices persist across the higher education sector due to a missing standardised framework that incorporates practice-specific and sector-specific characteristics. Thus, this thesis aims to develop practically relevant sustainability indicators for HEIs, using the UNISIMS project as a case study to explore and validate these indicators in German HEIs. A participatory approach involving key stakeholders has been employed to develop and validate sustainability assessment indicators. The research addresses the two fundamental questions: 1. How can sustainability assessment and reporting be developed using a participatory approach? 2. How can such an approach be implemented in the reporting practices of German HEIs? This study provides a systematic literature review, stakeholder engagement and iterative testing to induce the development of sustainability indicators. The findings reveal significant variations in how HEIs integrate sustainability into teaching and research. Institutions with established governance structures demonstrated stronger sustainability integration, whereas those without such frameworks remained in the initial stages of implementation. While the UNISIMS project is a major contemporary advancement, this thesis identifies several ongoing challenges, including data collection, reporting standardisation, resource shortage and various institutional engagements. It emphasises the need for practice-oriented, institution-specific indicators that reflect the diversity of sustainability challenges faced by HEIs. Beyond its immediate application within German HEIs, this research holds global relevance for sustainability assessment in higher education. Future research should focus on the applicability of the UNISIMS model beyond Germany. International cooperation in sustainability reporting and assessment could induce a long-term implementation of the UNISIMS indicators and become the standard framework for the international higher education sector.

Abstract:

Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a major role in advancing sustainability through teaching, research, and institutional management. However, inconsistencies in sustainability assessment and reporting practices persist across the higher education sector due to a missing standardised framework that incorporates practice-specific and sector-specific characteristics. Thus, this thesis aims to develop practically relevant sustainability indicators for HEIs, using the UNISIMS project as a case study to explore and validate these indicators in German HEIs. A participatory approach involving key stakeholders has been employed to develop and validate sustainability assessment indicators. The research addresses the two fundamental questions: 1. How can sustainability assessment and reporting be developed using a participatory approach? 2. How can such an approach be implemented in the reporting practices of German HEIs? This study provides a systematic literature review, stakeholder engagement and iterative testing to induce the development of sustainability indicators. The findings reveal significant variations in how HEIs integrate sustainability into teaching and research. Institutions with established governance structures demonstrated stronger sustainability integration, whereas those without such frameworks remained in the initial stages of implementation. While the UNISIMS project is a major contemporary advancement, this thesis identifies several ongoing challenges, including data collection, reporting standardisation, resource shortage and various institutional engagements. It emphasises the need for practice-oriented, institution-specific indicators that reflect the diversity of sustainability challenges faced by HEIs. Beyond its immediate application within German HEIs, this research holds global relevance for sustainability assessment in higher education. Future research should focus on the applicability of the UNISIMS model beyond Germany. International cooperation in sustainability reporting and assessment could induce a long-term implementation of the UNISIMS indicators and become the standard framework for the international higher education sector.

Klíčová slova

Higher education sector, stakeholder theory, participatory approach, higher education institutions (HEIs), UNISIMS project

Jazyk práce: čeština

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 31. 3. 2025

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: Dr. Leyla Azizi

Technická univerzita v Liberci

Ekonomická fakulta

Magisterský studijní program / obor:
International Management / International Management