IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i2p452-d305948.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Practices of Higher Education Institutions in Hong Kong: A Case Study of a Sustainable Campus Consortium

Author

Listed:
  • Weiyan Xiong

    (School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, 8 Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong, China)

  • Ka Ho Mok

    (School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, 8 Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

Eight University Grant Committee (UGC)-funded public universities in Hong Kong positively and successfully responded to the global call for sustainability efforts in higher education institutions (HEIs). Various initiatives are transpiring within these eight campuses. The Hong Kong Sustainable Campus Consortium (HKSCC) was co-established by eight UGC-funded universities, which is an excellent example of integrating resources and efforts to achieve sustainable development goals and exert positive social impacts. Through interviews with HKSCC administrators and members and reviewing relevant documents, this study aims to examine the roles and challenges of HKSCC toward Hong Kong HEIs’ sustainability efforts, and present the good practices and achievements of HKSCC. Findings of this study reveal that although HKSCC and each UGC-funded university contribute in reaching the sustainability goals, they should pay considerable attention to the external impact of sustainability practices on communities and society. Moreover, we propose that the sustainable development of public universities in Hong Kong should look beyond the narrowed definition of sustainable development and broaden their roles to exert a social impact by addressing the negative consequences of the massification, privatization, and internationalization of higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Weiyan Xiong & Ka Ho Mok, 2020. "Sustainability Practices of Higher Education Institutions in Hong Kong: A Case Study of a Sustainable Campus Consortium," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:452-:d:305948
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/2/452/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/2/452/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yi An & Howard Davey & Harun Harun, 2017. "Sustainability Reporting at a New Zealand Public University: A Longitudinal Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-11, August.
    2. Mok, Ka Ho & Jiang, Jin, 2018. "Massification of higher education and challenges for graduate employment and social mobility: East Asian experiences and sociological reflections," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 44-51.
    3. Benedetta Siboni & Carlotta del Sordo & Silvia Pazzi, 2013. "Sustainability Reporting in State Universities: An Investigation of Italian Pioneering Practices," International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (IJSESD), IGI Global, vol. 4(2), pages 1-15, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mayte Gómez Marcos & Marcelo Ruiz Toledo & Claudio Ruff Escobar, 2022. "Towards Inclusive Higher Education: A Multivariate Analysis of Social and Gender Inequalities," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Xunqian Liu & Xiaoqing Liu & Yi Yang, 2024. "Sowing Seeds of Sustainability: Assessing the Effects of a Green Residential Hall Program in Hong Kong," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Aurelio Tommasetti & Riccardo Mussari & Gennaro Maione & Daniela Sorrentino, 2020. "Sustainability Accounting and Reporting in the Public Sector: Towards Public Value Co-Creation?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-19, March.
    4. Kjersti Fløttum & Dorothy Jane Dankel & Jon Kåre Skiple, 2022. "The Sustainable Development Goals—Sensible Initiative or Just Nonsense? An Investigation of Norwegian Citizens’ Knowledge and Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Manuel Muñoz-Suárez & Natividad Guadalajara & José M. Osca, 2020. "A Comparative Analysis between Global University Rankings and Environmental Sustainability of Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Lutfi Nurcholis, 2021. "How to Improve Internationalization Strategy Based on Market Characteristics, Culture Understanding, and Knowledge Management: the Mediating Effect of Management Behavior," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(4), pages 1717-1740, December.
    7. Li, Ruishi & Zhao, Rongqin & Xie, Zhixiang & Xiao, Liangang & Chuai, Xiaowei & Feng, Mengyu & Zhang, Huifang & Luo, Huili, 2022. "Water–energy–carbon nexus at campus scale: Case of North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    8. Michael Crilly & Chandra Mouli Vemury & Richard Humphrey & Sergio Rodriguez & Tracey Crosbie & Karen Johnson & Alexander Wilson & Oliver Heidrich, 2020. "Common Language of Sustainability for Built Environment Professionals—The Quintuple Helix Model for Higher Education," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Amila Omazic & Bernd Markus Zunk, 2021. "Semi-Systematic Literature Review on Sustainability and Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-45, July.
    10. Ivo Araújo & Leonel J. R. Nunes & António Curado, 2023. "Preliminary Approach for the Development of Sustainable University Campuses: A Case Study Based on the Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Elena Gori & Alberto Romolini & Silvia Fissi & Marco Contri, 2020. "Toward the Dissemination of Sustainability Issues through Social Media in the Higher Education Sector: Evidence from an Italian Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gloria Fiorani & Chiara Di Gerio, 2022. "Reporting University Performance through the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda: Lessons Learned from Italian Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Giorgio Mion & Angela Broglia & Angelo Bonfanti, 2019. "Do Codes of Ethics Reveal a University’s Commitment to Sustainable Development? Evidence from Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, February.
    3. Manuel Muñoz-Suárez & Natividad Guadalajara & José M. Osca, 2020. "A Comparative Analysis between Global University Rankings and Environmental Sustainability of Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    4. Remmer Sassen & Leyla Azizi, 2018. "Voluntary disclosure of sustainability reports by Canadian universities," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 88(1), pages 97-137, January.
    5. Juhi Kamakoty & Sandeep Singh, 2023. "PHEISQUAL: A Scale to Measure Service Quality of Professional Higher Educational Institute From Faculty Perspective," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, October.
    6. Adéla Fajčíková & Hana Urbancová, 2019. "Factors Influencing Students’ Motivation to Seek Higher Education—A Case Study at a State University in the Czech Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-14, August.
    7. Anca Gabriela Petrescu & Florentina Raluca Bîlcan & Marius Petrescu & Ionica Holban Oncioiu & Mirela Cătălina Türkeș & Sorinel Căpuşneanu, 2020. "Assessing the Benefits of the Sustainability Reporting Practices in the Top Romanian Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-31, April.
    8. Walter Leal Filho & Alfonso Coronado-Marín & Amanda Lange Salvia & Fernanda Frankenberger Silva & Franziska Wolf & Todd LeVasseur & Maria J. Kirrane & Federica Doni & Arminda Paço & Malgorzata Blichar, 2022. "International Trends and Practices on Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    9. Bertha Kibona, 2024. "Higher education and employability in Tanzania: Students' account," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 254-267, January.
    10. Leyla Azizi & Colin Bien & Remmer Sassen, 2018. "Recent trends in sustainability reporting by German universities [Aktuelle Trends in der Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung deutscher Universitäten]," Sustainability Nexus Forum, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 65-85, December.
    11. Samson John Mgaiwa, 2021. "Fostering Graduate Employability: Rethinking Tanzania’s University Practices," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(2), pages 21582440211, April.
    12. Benedetta Esposito & Maria Rosaria Sessa & Daniela Sica & Ornella Malandrino, 2021. "Corporate Social Responsibility Engagement through Social Media. Evidence from the University of Salerno," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, December.
    13. Giuseppe Nicolò & Natalia Aversano & Giuseppe Sannino & Paolo Tartaglia Polcini, 2021. "Investigating Web-Based Sustainability Reporting in Italian Public Universities in the Era of Covid-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, March.
    14. Alberto Sardi & Enrico Sorano, 2019. "Dynamic Performance Management: An Approach for Managing the Common Goods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-22, November.
    15. Anup Kumar Saha & Habiba Al‐Shaer & Rob Dixon & Istemi Demirag, 2021. "Determinants of Carbon Emission Disclosures and UN Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of UK Higher Education Institutions," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 31(2), pages 79-107, June.
    16. Mahalaxmi Adhikariparajuli & Abeer Hassan & Benedetta Siboni, 2021. "CSR Implication and Disclosure in Higher Education: Uncovered Points. Results from a Systematic Literature Review and Agenda for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-23, January.
    17. Laura Saraite-Sariene & Juana Alonso-Cañadas & Federico Galán-Valdivieso & Carmen Caba-Pérez, 2019. "Non-Financial Information versus Financial as a Key to the Stakeholder Engagement: A Higher Education Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, December.
    18. Muralidharan Loganathan & M. H. Bala Subrahmanya, 2023. "Efficiency of Entrepreneurial Universities in India: A Data Envelopment Analysis," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 14(2), pages 1120-1144, June.
    19. Rosane Maria Seibert & Clea Beatriz Macagnan & Robert Dixon, 2021. "Priority Stakeholders’ Perception: Social Responsibility Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, January.
    20. Kang, Yuyang & Xiong, Weiyan, 2021. "Is entrepreneurship a remedy for Chinese university graduates’ unemployment under the massification of higher education? A case study of young entrepreneurs in Shenzhen," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:452-:d:305948. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.