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Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in the Amazon Region: A Case Study in a Federal Public University in Western Pará, Brazil

Author

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  • Luis Alípio Gomes

    (Doctoral Program in Society, Nature and Development Program, Institute of Biodiversity and Forest, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040-255, Brazil)

  • Tânia Suely Azevedo Brasileiro

    (Doctoral Program in Society, Nature and Development Program, Institute of Biodiversity and Forest, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém 68040-255, Brazil)

  • Sandra Sofia F. S. Caeiro

    (Science and Technology Department, Portuguese Distance Learning University, 1269-001 Lisbon, Portugal)

Abstract

Sustainable development (SD) in higher education has occupied the agenda over recent decades. Higher education institutions make efforts to promote sustainability in education, curriculum, research, outreach, and campus operations. This article aims to analyze the level of implementation of sustainability in higher education in the Amazon. The specific objectives of this paper are to identify the curriculum greening (CG) characteristics in institutional development plans (IDPs) and to analyze the perceptions of students from a higher education institution in the Amazon region about sustainability. It follows a qualitative approach, with documentary research and questionnaires applied to students. Analysis content was used in the data analysis. The main findings are the presence of some CG characteristics in institutional documents that were analyzed as a commitment to the transformation of society–nature relations, contextualization, disciplinary order, democracy, theory and practice, students as knowledge protagonists, cognitive aspects, alternative scenarios, and methodological adequacy. The results show that commitment to sustainability cannot just be a declaration of good intentions. It is essential to discuss the ways of implementing sustainability in the academic environment, as it implies changes in epistemological, political, and social conceptions.

Suggested Citation

  • Luis Alípio Gomes & Tânia Suely Azevedo Brasileiro & Sandra Sofia F. S. Caeiro, 2022. "Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions in the Amazon Region: A Case Study in a Federal Public University in Western Pará, Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3155-:d:766330
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sandra Caeiro & Leyla Angélica Sandoval Hamón & Rute Martins & Cecilia Elizabeth Bayas Aldaz, 2020. "Sustainability Assessment and Benchmarking in Higher Education Institutions—A Critical Reflection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-30, January.
    2. Ian Thomas, 2014. "Special Issue—Pedagogy for Education for Sustainability in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-4, April.
    3. Rodrigo Lozano & Maria Barreiro-Gen & Francisco J. Lozano & Kaisu Sammalisto, 2019. "Teaching Sustainability in European Higher Education Institutions: Assessing the Connections between Competences and Pedagogical Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Rodrigo Lozano & Michelle Y. Merrill & Kaisu Sammalisto & Kim Ceulemans & Francisco J. Lozano, 2017. "Connecting Competences and Pedagogical Approaches for Sustainable Development in Higher Education: A Literature Review and Framework Proposal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Jana Dlouhá & Raquel Heras & Ingrid Mulà & Francisca Perez Salgado & Laura Henderson, 2019. "Competences to Address SDGs in Higher Education—A Reflection on the Equilibrium between Systemic and Personal Approaches to Achieve Transformative Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-23, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Caine Rolleston & Jackline Nyerere & Luciana Brandli & Rosiana Lagi & Tristan McCowan, 2023. "Aiming Higher? Implications for Higher Education of Students’ Views on Education for Climate Justice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-15, October.
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    3. Carolina Feliciana Machado & J. Paulo Davim, 2023. "Sustainability in the Modernization of Higher Education: Curricular Transformation and Sustainable Campus—A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-28, May.

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