Advancing Sustainable Higher Education: Embracing the Triple Bottom Line Integration in Uganda
Abstract
The purpose of this conceptual paper was to revise Triple Bottom Line Theory of sustainable development as proposed by John Elkington, so as to propose ways of advancing sustainable higher education in Uganda. The major tenets of this theory are economic viability, environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Reduced fiscal spending by governments to higher education, the global calls for mitigation of climate change, youth unemployment and equity calls for higher education to be sustainable, including in Uganda. This paper concludes by proposing that sustainable higher education in Uganda is as a result of : Economic viability (job creation, skill development, research & innovation, community engagement, global education- partnerships with international institutions), environmental sustainability (integration of sustainability in curricula, use of experiential learning, collaboration with stakeholders, addressing resource limitations, empowerment and economic benefits) and social responsibility (community engagement, addressing local and global challenges, integrating social responsibility into missions, and merging social responsibility with internationalization efforts). The paper concludes by recommending empirical validation of the model, both in Uganda and outside Uganda
Downloads
References
Afshan, G., Ashraf, Z., Kalhoro, M., Sethi, S., Memon, Q. U. A., & Khuhro, M. A. (2024). CSR and Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): A Systematic Review Toward Future Development. The Emerald Handbook of Ethical Finance and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Framework for Sustainable Development, 505-523.
Ajaps, S. (2023). Deconstructing the constraints of justice-based environmental sustainability in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 28(5), 1024-1038.
Amutuhaire, T. (2022). Financing Higher Education: Who Pays, Who Benefits, and Who Should Pay for University Education in Uganda. East African Journal of Education Studies, 5(1), 182-194.
Amutuhaire, T. (2023). Higher education and social responsibility: a proposal for internationalization of university—community engagements; perspectives from Uganda. SN Social Sciences, 3(9), 161.
Baligidde, Samuel H., and Jude Ssempebwa. "Education for Sustainable Development: Implications for University Managers, Government and the Private Sector in Uganda." Journal of Science and Sustainable Development 2, no. 1 (2009): 41-45.
Biancardi, A., Colasante, A., D’Adamo, I., Daraio, C., Gastaldi, M., & Uricchio, A. F. (2023). Strategies for developing sustainable communities in higher education institutions. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 20596.
Cernostana, Z. (2017). Financial sustainability for private higher education institutions (No. 17/2017). Institute of Economic Research Working Papers.
Chipriyanova, G., Krasteva-Hristova, R., & Kussainova, A. (2022). Contemporary higher accounting education for social responsibility. Economics Ecology Socium, 6(4), 27-36.
Cleveland, D., Van Thang, L. N., & Chi, C. N. T. M. (2023). Integrating sustainability in higher education curricula: A transformative approach towards marketing education and brand social responsibility. ASCILITE Publications, 345-350.
Ducie, G. J. (2013). Financial Viability of Sustainable Infrastructural Development at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (Doctoral dissertation, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University).
Ekpe, U. J. (2024). Sustainable Agriculture Education Programs in Uganda: Successes, Challenges, and Impact. INOSR Arts and Management, 10(1), 17-25.
Elkington, J. (1998). Partnerships from cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st‐century business. Environmental quality management, 8(1), 37-51.
Guang, C. H. E. N. G. (2011). Impact of Economic Crisis on Financial Sustainability of Higher Education Institutes. In Proceedings of 2011 International Conference on Information Management and Engineering (ICIME 2011).
Husic, D. W. (2024). Reframing sustainability initiatives in higher education. Sustainable Earth Reviews, 7(1), 5.
Kaahwa, M. G., & Buregea, B. R. (2017). School leadership in higher institutions of learning: Opportunities for sustainable development. Texila International Journal of Academic Research, 4(2).
Loviscek, V. (2020). Triple bottom line toward a holistic framework for sustainability: A systematic review. Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 25, e200017.
Mayanja, C. S., & Nkata, J. L. (2019). Pursuing Sustainable Development Goals in Uganda: Do anti-corruption strategies of Management Development Institutes matter?. Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research, 11(4), 38-47.
Menon, S., & Suresh, M. (2022). Development of assessment framework for environmental sustainability in higher education institutions. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 23(7), 1445-1468.
Miahkykh, I. (2023). Social responsibility in higher education: challenges and opportunities. Management, 37(1), 118-125.
Ndibuuza, F., Langa, P. V., & Bisaso, R. (2021). Higher Education and the Knowledge Society Agenda in Uganda. Universities in the Knowledge Society: The Nexus of National Systems of Innovation and Higher Education, 67-82.
Shetty, S. H. (2024). Higher Education Institutions as a Catalyst for Sustainability Development. In Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future: Innovative Strategies and Best Practices (pp. 1-16). IGI Global.
Copyright (c) 2024 Eutychus Ngotho Gichuru
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
