IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i9p4956-d545407.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainability Transfer as a Concept for Universities in Regional Transformation—A Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Uwe Demele

    (Research Center [Sustainability–Transformation–Transfer], Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstr. 5, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany)

  • Benjamin Nölting

    (Research Center [Sustainability–Transformation–Transfer], Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstr. 5, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany)

  • Wibke Crewett

    (Research Center [Sustainability–Transformation–Transfer], Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstr. 5, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany)

  • Georgi Georgiev

    (Research Center [Sustainability–Transformation–Transfer], Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Schicklerstr. 5, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany)

Abstract

The research object of this study is the in-depth discourse on the sustainability transfer activities of higher education institutions (HEIs) and their contribution to a regional sustainable transformation. For this purpose, a heuristically-derived concept of sustainability transfer is empirically tested with a mixed-methods approach based on the example of Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE). The empirical findings demonstrate that the realization of sustainability transfer depends mainly on the personal initiative of teachers and researchers. Major barriers are a lack of time and financial resources. The observed concept of sustainability transfer is applicable to all study and research areas of HNEE. Involvement in sustainability transfer can include the whole of society, from politics, enterprises, and civil society to education and research institutions. Overall, the empirical testing of the concept offered by this study illustrates its practical suitability to capturing specifically those sustainability transfer activities that are not tapped by third mission approaches. This opens up a novel dimension for transfer potential at universities and their role in regional sustainability transformation. It also highlights that the interdependencies between HEIs and practitioners need to be more contextualized with quality criteria such as the value of the transfer performance or level of ambition.

Suggested Citation

  • Uwe Demele & Benjamin Nölting & Wibke Crewett & Georgi Georgiev, 2021. "Sustainability Transfer as a Concept for Universities in Regional Transformation—A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-25, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4956-:d:545407
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4956/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/9/4956/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jason Papenfuss & Eileen Merritt, 2019. "Pedagogical Laboratories: A Case Study of Transformative Sustainability Education in an Ecovillage Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-19, July.
    2. Helga Nowotny, 2003. "Democratising expertise and socially robust knowledge," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(3), pages 151-156, June.
    3. Benjamin Nölting & Heike Molitor & Julian Reimann & Jan-Hendrik Skroblin & Nadine Dembski, 2020. "Transfer for Sustainable Development at Higher Education Institutions—Untapped Potential for Education for Sustainable Development and for Societal Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    4. Schiller, Daniel & Kanning, Helga & Pflitsch, Gesa & Radinger-Peer, Verena & Freytag, Tim, 2020. "Hochschulen als Agenten des Wandels für eine nachhaltige Regionalentwicklung? Hochschulen und nachhaltige Regionalentwicklung aus der Transition-Perspektive," Forschungsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Postlep, Rolf-Dieter & Blume, Lorenz & Hülz, Martina (ed.), Hochschulen und ihr Beitrag für eine nachhaltige Regionalentwicklung, volume 11, pages 119-176, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    5. Gregory Trencher & Masaru Yarime & Kes B. McCormick & Christopher N. H. Doll & Steven B. Kraines, 2014. "Beyond the third mission: Exploring the emerging university function of co-creation for sustainability," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(2), pages 151-179.
    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. Ivan Paunović & Cathleen Müller & Klaus Deimel, 2022. "Building a Culture of Entrepreneurial Initiative in Rural Regions Based on Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of University of Applied Sciences–Municipality Innovation Partnership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.

    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. Benjamin Nölting & Heike Molitor & Julian Reimann & Jan-Hendrik Skroblin & Nadine Dembski, 2020. "Transfer for Sustainable Development at Higher Education Institutions—Untapped Potential for Education for Sustainable Development and for Societal Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    2. Thomas J. Lampoltshammer & Valerie Albrecht & Corinna Raith, 2021. "Teaching Digital Sustainability in Higher Education from a Transdisciplinary Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, October.
    3. Ivan Paunović & Cathleen Müller & Klaus Deimel, 2022. "Building a Culture of Entrepreneurial Initiative in Rural Regions Based on Sustainable Development Goals: A Case Study of University of Applied Sciences–Municipality Innovation Partnership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-19, September.
    4. Chiasson, Guy & Angelstam, Per & Axelsson, Robert & Doyon, Frederik, 2019. "Towards collaborative forest planning in Canadian and Swedish hinterlands: Different institutional trajectories?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 334-345.
    5. Gesa Pflitsch & Verena Radinger-Peer, 2018. "Developing Boundary-Spanning Capacity for Regional Sustainability Transitions—A Comparative Case Study of the Universities of Augsburg (Germany) and Linz (Austria)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-26, March.
    6. Gunn, Callum J. & Bertelsen, Neil & Regeer, Barbara J. & Schuitmaker-Warnaar, Tjerk Jan, 2021. "Valuing patient engagement: Reflexive learning in evidence generation practices for health technology assessment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    7. Markus Dressel, 2022. "Models of science and society: transcending the antagonism," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, December.
    8. Rau, Henrike & Goggins, Gary & Fahy, Frances, 2018. "From invisibility to impact: Recognising the scientific and societal relevance of interdisciplinary sustainability research," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 266-276.
    9. Emmanuel Dornyoh & Abdul-Muhaeminu Tamakloe Ocloo & Tamakloe Ocloo, 2024. "The Environmental Sustainability Practices of Students at the Cape Coast Technical University Hostels," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(3s), pages 3435-3453, August.
    10. Sauermann, Henry & Vohland, Katrin & Antoniou, Vyron & Balázs, Bálint & Göbel, Claudia & Karatzas, Kostas & Mooney, Peter & Perelló, Josep & Ponti, Marisa & Samson, Roeland & Winter, Silvia, 2020. "Citizen science and sustainability transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(5).
    11. Taheri, Mozhdeh & van Geenhuizen, Marina, 2016. "Teams' boundary-spanning capacity at university: Performance of technology projects in commercialization," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 31-43.
    12. Tomasi Sabrina & Cavicchi Alessio & Aleffi Chiara & Paviotti Gigliola & Ferrara Concetta & Baldoni Federica & Passarini Paolo, 2021. "Civic universities and bottom-up approaches to boost local development of rural areas: the case of the University of Macerata," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-23, December.
    13. Anca Draghici & Larisa Ivascu & Adrian Mateescu & George Draghici, 2017. "A Proposed Model for Measuring Performance of the University-Industry Collaboration in Open Innovation," International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, International School for Social and Business Studies, Celje, Slovenia, vol. 6(1), pages 53-76.
    14. Mara Bauer & Sebastian Niedlich & Marco Rieckmann & Inka Bormann & Larissa Jaeger, 2020. "Interdependencies of Culture and Functions of Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    15. Stefan Thomas & David Scheller & Susan Schröder, 2021. "Co-creation in citizen social science: the research forum as a methodological foundation for communication and participation," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-11, December.
    16. Humberto Merritt, 2015. "The Role of Human Capital in University-Business Cooperation: The Case of Mexico," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 6(3), pages 568-588, September.
    17. Klenk, Nicole L. & Hickey, Gordon M., 2011. "A virtual and anonymous, deliberative and analytic participation process for planning and evaluation: The Concept Mapping Policy Delphi," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 152-165, January.
    18. Jeremias Herberg & Tobias Haas & Daniel Oppold & Dirk von Schneidemesser, 2020. "A Collaborative Transformation beyond Coal and Cars? Co-Creation and Corporatism in the German Energy and Mobility Transitions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-20, April.
    19. Jesús Granados-Sánchez, 2022. "Levels of Transformation in Sustainable Curricula: The Case of Geography Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-23, April.
    20. Birgit Hoinle & Ilka Roose & Himanshu Shekhar, 2021. "Creating Transdisciplinary Teaching Spaces. Cooperation of Universities and Non-University Partners to Design Higher Education for Regional Sustainable Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, March.

    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:13:y:2021:i:9:p:4956-:d:545407. 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.