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Transition to Sustainability in Macro-Universities: The Experience of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)

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  • Ken Oyama

    (Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores (ENES)-Morelia, UNAM, Morelia 58190, Mexico)

  • Ayari G. Pasquier

    (Secretaría de Desarrollo Institucional, UNAM, Mexico City 04510, Mexico)

  • Edgar Mojica

    (Secretaría de Desarrollo Institucional, UNAM, Mexico City 04510, Mexico)

Abstract

In this paper, we assess the challenges of macro-universities to incorporate sustainability as an integral dimension of their activities and institutional development, and as a public higher education institutions that have an important role in sustainable development in the Global South. To this end, we analyzed the efforts oriented towards incorporating sustainability into research and teaching agendas, as well as the campus management activities of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), a university with national presence and a community of more than 420,000 people comprising students, academics and administrative staff. UNAM has historically been one of the most important research and teaching institutions in Latin America. The analysis incorporates quantitative and qualitative data, relying on information sources such as the databases of the University regarding research and teaching, institutional documents and interviews with key actors. This study argues that inter-institutional articulation is a key factor to integrate the increasing sustainable initiatives promoted in the last decade but also one of the main challenges in the consolidation of macro-universities as sustainable universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Ken Oyama & Ayari G. Pasquier & Edgar Mojica, 2018. "Transition to Sustainability in Macro-Universities: The Experience of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:12:p:4840-:d:191523
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Kim Ceulemans & Rodrigo Lozano & María Del Mar Alonso-Almeida, 2015. "Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education: Interconnecting the Reporting Process and Organisational Change Management for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-23, July.
    4. Shiel, Chris & Leal Filho, Walter & do Paço, Arminda & Brandli, Luciana, 2016. "Evaluating the engagement of universities in capacity building for sustainable development in local communities," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 123-134.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Göran Finnveden & Julie Newman & Leendert A. Verhoef, 2019. "Sustainable Development and Higher Education: Acting with a Purpose," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-4, July.
    3. Primiano Di Nauta & Enrica Iannuzzi & Michele Milone & Claudio Nigro, 2020. "The Impact of the Sustainability Principles on the Strategic Planning and Reporting of Universities. An Exploratory Study on a Qualified Italian Sample," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.

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