IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v4y2011i1p17-41d15455.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

National Sustainability Outreach Assessment Based on Human and Social Capital: The Case of Environmental Sciences in Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Harald A. Mieg

    (Institute of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin D-10099, Germany)

  • Ralph Hansmann

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETHZ CHN, Universitätsstrasse 8, Zurich CH-8092, Switzerland)

  • Peter M. Frischknecht

    (Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETHZ CHN, Universitätsstrasse 8, Zurich CH-8092, Switzerland)

Abstract

This paper reports on a sustainability outreach study based on an assessment of human and social capital. The aim was to capture the national sustainability outreach of twenty years of Environmental Sciences education, centered at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. The study contained two lines of research, one being a human capital assessment with a survey among graduates from the years 1992 to 2005 (n = 542) and the other being a social capital analysis based on interviews with institutions that represent the Swiss social systems of economy, politics/public administration and civil society (20 institutions). Our analyses reveal several functional forms of both human capital (specialists, pioneers, leaders) and social capital (qualification profile, internalization, networks, standardization, professionalization) that trigger and channel sustainability outreach.

Suggested Citation

  • Harald A. Mieg & Ralph Hansmann & Peter M. Frischknecht, 2011. "National Sustainability Outreach Assessment Based on Human and Social Capital: The Case of Environmental Sciences in Switzerland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-25, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:4:y:2011:i:1:p:17-41:d:15455
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/1/17/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/4/1/17/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. William A. H. Scott & Stephen R. Gough, 2010. "Sustainability, Learning and Capability: Exploring Questions of Balance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(12), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Guri Krigsvoll & Marina Fumo & Renata Morbiducci, 2010. "National and International Standardization (International Organization for Standardization and European Committee for Standardization) Relevant for Sustainability in Construction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(12), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Ivo Šlaus & Garry Jacobs, 2011. "Human Capital and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-58, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Ionuț Jianu & Marin Dinu & Dragoș Huru & Alexandru Bodislav, 2021. "Examining the Relationship between Income Inequality and Growth from the Perspective of EU Member States’ Stage of Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, May.
    2. Paul Ofei-Manu & Satoshi Shimano, 2012. "In Transition towards Sustainability: Bridging the Business and Education Sectors of Regional Centre of Expertise Greater Sendai Using Education for Sustainable Development-Based Social Learning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(7), pages 1-26, July.
    3. Nazanin Hosseini Arian & Alireza Pooya & Fariborz Rahimnia & Ali Sibevei, 2021. "Assessment the effect of rapid prototyping implementation on supply chain sustainability: a system dynamics approach," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 467-493, December.
    4. Xuanmei Yang & Xiangyu Li & Kaifa Lu & Zhong-Ren Peng, 2023. "Integrating rural livelihood resilience and sustainability for post-disaster community relocation: a theoretical framework and empirical study," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 116(2), pages 1775-1803, March.
    5. Josefa García Mestanza & Alfonso Cerezo Medina & Marco Antonio Cruz Morato, 2019. "A Model for Measuring Fair Labour Justice in Hotels: Design for the Spanish Case," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Midori Kawabe & Hiroshi Kohno & Takashi Ishimaru & Osamu Baba, 2013. "A University-Hosted Program in Pursuit of Coastal Sustainability: The Case of Tokyo Bay," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(9), pages 1-20, September.
    7. Néstor Le Clech & Juan Carlos Guevara-Pérez & R. Urdaneta-Camacho, 2023. "Human Capital and Non-Renewable Natural Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean: ‘Is It a Curse or a Blessing’?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, August.
    8. Ioan G. Pop & Sebastian Văduva & Mihai-Florin Talpoș, 2017. "Energetic Sustainability and the Environment: A Transdisciplinary, Economic–Ecological Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-12, May.
    9. Christina Marouli, 2021. "Sustainability Education for the Future? Challenges and Implications for Education and Pedagogy in the 21st Century," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, March.
    10. Berio, Mark Jason M., 2022. "Analysis of the Sustainability, Vulnerability, and Challenges of Aquaculture Livelihood Projects," Technium Business and Management, Technium Science, vol. 2(3), pages 38-62.
    11. Wendy Fehlner, 2024. "Educating for Sustainability: The Crucial Role of the Tertiary Sector," Journal of Sustainable Development, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, July.
    12. Jaana Seikkula-Leino & Maria Salomaa & Svanborg Rannveig Jónsdóttir & Elin McCallum & Hazel Israel, 2021. "EU Policies Driving Entrepreneurial Competences—Reflections from the Case of EntreComp," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    13. Mahalik, Mantu Kumar & Mallick, Hrushikesh & Padhan, Hemachandra, 2021. "Do educational levels influence the environmental quality? The role of renewable and non-renewable energy demand in selected BRICS countries with a new policy perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 419-432.
    14. Yoojin Yi & Euijune Kim & Eunjin Choi, 2017. "Linkage among School Performance, Housing Prices, and Residential Mobility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-18, June.
    15. Hernita Hernita & Batara Surya & Iwan Perwira & Herminawaty Abubakar & Muhammad Idris, 2021. "Economic Business Sustainability and Strengthening Human Resource Capacity Based on Increasing the Productivity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Makassar City, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-36, March.
    16. Thi-Thu-Hien Le & Trung Tran & Thi-Phuong-Thao Trinh & Chi-Thanh Nguyen & Thuy-Phuong-Tram Nguyen & Thu-Trang Vuong & Thi-Hanh Vu & Dieu-Quynh Bui & Ha-My Vuong & Phuong-Hanh Hoang & Minh-Hoang Nguyen, 2019. "Reading Habits, Socioeconomic Conditions, Occupational Aspiration and Academic Achievement in Vietnamese Junior High School Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-29, September.
    17. Julia Numrich & Sascha Ruja & Stefan Voß, 2012. "Global Navigation Satellite System based tolling: state-of-the-art," Netnomics, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 93-123, July.
    18. Mohammed Hadi & George Campbell, 2020. "Relationship among Energy Consumption, Inflation, Human Capital and Economic Growth: Evidence from Indonesia," International Journal of Applied Economics, Finance and Accounting, Online Academic Press, vol. 6(2), pages 85-92.
    19. Batara Surya & Seri Suriani & Firman Menne & Herminawaty Abubakar & Muhammad Idris & Emil Salim Rasyidi & Hasanuddin Remmang, 2021. "Community Empowerment and Utilization of Renewable Energy: Entrepreneurial Perspective for Community Resilience Based on Sustainable Management of Slum Settlements in Makassar City, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-36, March.
    20. Min-Ren Yan, 2015. "Project-Based Market Competition and Policy Implications for Sustainable Developments in Building and Construction Sectors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-26, November.

    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:4:y:2011:i:1:p:17-41:d:15455. 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.