AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM MODEL FOR TRANSFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are widely considered as major stakeholders in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those that affect teaching and learning, research and community development. In order to realise this aim, there have been calls for HEIs to incorporate sustainable practices in their operations and this remain high on the agenda of international organisations and countries. Although researchers in HEIs continue to find solutions to the growing sustainable development needs and the transformation of HEIs, there are several bottlenecks in the achievements of these objectives. However, any response by HEIs to structure their institutions to meet this global call will require significant shifts and alignments by way of transformation. This study therefore conceptualises the transformation of HEIs through an integrated system model that incorporate major aspects of sustainable development (SD) programmes. The proposed model, which consist of a four-stage approach if implemented, will ensure that HEIs adopt a comprehensive SD that will also seek to transform their institutions while meeting global expectations on SD.