Towards a "Sustainable University": Scenarios for Sustainable University Development

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp 313–332

24 Pages Posted: 5 Jan 2012

See all articles by Matthias Barth

Matthias Barth

Leuphana University of Lueneburg

Maik Adomßent

Leuphana University of Lueneburg

Patrick Albrecht

Independent

Simon Burandt

Leuphana University of Lueneburg - Dept. of Sustainability Sciences

Angela Franz-Balsen

Independent

Jasmin Godemann

Justus Liebig University of Gießen

Marco Rieckmann

University of Vechta

Date Written: December 14, 2010

Abstract

Universities are key actors in sustainable development by generating new knowledge as well as contributing to the development of appropriate competencies and raising sustainability awareness. Within a project called “Sustainable University” at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany), a scenario analysis was carried out in order to think structurally about both the challenges that universities could face in the long run and to establish what chances and problems might arise in future from implementing an orientation towards sustainable development. This analysis results in the characterisation of a “Higher Education Landscape 2035” consisting of eight clusters of possible future developments. This paper describes the process of inter- and transdisciplinary scenario development, gives an overview of the scenarios identified, and finally discusses the adaptability of the Lüneburg idea of a sustainable university to the future system of higher education.

Keywords: sustainability, sustainable university development, Higher Education Landscape 2035, scenario analysis, sustainability science, transdisciplinarity, transformative case study, higher education system, future projections

Suggested Citation

Barth, Matthias and Adomßent, Maik and Albrecht, Patrick and Burandt, Simon and Franz-Balsen, Angela and Godemann, Jasmin and Rieckmann, Marco, Towards a "Sustainable University": Scenarios for Sustainable University Development (December 14, 2010). International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp 313–332, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1978286

Matthias Barth (Contact Author)

Leuphana University of Lueneburg ( email )

Scharnhorststraße 1
Lüneburg, 21335
Germany

Maik Adomßent

Leuphana University of Lueneburg ( email )

Scharnhorststrasse 1
Lüneburg, 21314
Germany

Patrick Albrecht

Independent ( email )

Simon Burandt

Leuphana University of Lueneburg - Dept. of Sustainability Sciences ( email )

Scharnhorststrasse 1
Lüneburg, 21314
Germany

Angela Franz-Balsen

Independent ( email )

Jasmin Godemann

Justus Liebig University of Gießen ( email )

Senckenbergstrasse 3
Gießen, 35390
Germany

Marco Rieckmann

University of Vechta ( email )

Driverstr. 22
Vechta, 49377
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
143
Abstract Views
2,162
Rank
365,097
PlumX Metrics