Sustainability opportunities and challenges in the UK HE sector

Abstract

This presentation aims to provide some insightful thoughts on how sustainability research is integrated into developing the HE sector. It explores the main challenges and opportunities of sustainable teaching and learning research. It illustrates teaching and research resources from leading sustainable business organizations in the UK. These organizations represent a new sustainable business model. This model focuses on commercializing social and environmental projects. Furthermore, this business model involves a new form of accountability that could be used for the HE services for the future generation. The main research objectives of this research paper are: 1. Explain how sustainability could offer more opportunities in the HE sector. 2. Explore the dilemmas of developing sustainable resources 3. Provide some examples (teaching resources and research impact case studies) to help institutions to grow and provide a more significant impact. The new sustainable business models (Cases) This presentation illustrates teaching and research resources from leading sustainable business organizations in the UK. A number of academic attempts developed to address the main themes of sustainable business models in some HE institutions. The main focus of these attempts was centered on examining the levels of social and environmental involvement within the HE sector. So, it seems more relevant for HE institutions to consider social and environmental issues (including sustainability practices) as a core component to create a more coherent sustainable business model. In addition, this presentation provides educational resources to analyze a number of different conceptual sustainability issues. These conceptual issues involve the need to answer some of the main challenges of sustainable business model in business organizations: - Sustainability for what? - Sustainability for whom? - Sustainability in what way? - Sustainability for how long? - Sustainability at what level of resolution?