76 Ethics in Higher Education: Values-driven Leaders for the Future
cooperative efforts across disciplines and institutions; and poor
communication within the higher education institution regarding the
meaning and concept of sustainable development and how it applies.^19
While some of these challenges are typical of the traditional
challenges to organisational change, this view is short-sighted.
Interestingly, there is significant overlap between the challenges and
some of the opportunities that have been identified, including:^20
- Inter-disciplinary nature of research in sustainable development;
- Zeitgeist, primarily attributed to climate change, but also the
progressive awareness of other sustainability issues; - Collaborations and partnerships to work together;
- Networks to learn from others;
- A proactive unit or individual within the higher education
institution driving sustainable development with a clear plan.
There is clearly a role for higher education institutions to play, and
indeed a responsibility on them to do so. Particularly in developing
states, such as South Africa, where the provision of higher education by
the state is unlikely to meet the demand given the available state
resources, it is incumbent on higher education institutions to take
concrete and targeted steps to address the shortfall. While higher
education institutions may not be the primary bearers of obligations, the
importance of the role that they can – and must – play cannot be
gainsaid.
19
Dawe G, Jucker R & Martin S, “Sustainable development in higher education:
Current practice and future developments (2005) (https://www.heacademy.
ac.uk/sites/default/files/sustdevinhefinalreport.pdf), at p 5; above n 11 at p 42. 20
Above n 11 at p 42.