IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i2p712-d479596.html

Increasing University Competitiveness through Assessment of Green Content in Curriculum and Eco-Labeling in Higher Education

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Okanović

    (Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

  • Jelena Ješić

    (Faculty of Business Economics, University Educons, 21208 Sremska Kamenica, Serbia)

  • Vladimir Đaković

    (Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia)

  • Simonida Vukadinović

    (Faculty of Business Economics, University Educons, 21208 Sremska Kamenica, Serbia)

  • Andrea Andrejević Panić

    (Faculty of Business Economics, University Educons, 21208 Sremska Kamenica, Serbia)

Abstract

Growing environmental problems and increasing requirements of green jobs force universities around the world not only to transform their curricula but also to enrich existing ones with contents related to the promotion of sustainable development. This paper aims to show the importance of measuring and monitoring the share of green contents in all university activities, as only in that way it is possible to monitor trends and give realistic assessments of their effect and importance. The paper presents a comparative analysis of different types of methodologies for assessing sustainable activities at universities as well as research conducted at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia and its comparison with the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). This research aims to point out the importance of increasing competitiveness in higher education through assessment of green content in a curriculum and its promotion. In this way, through eco-labeling methodology, it would be easier to identify those contents that, in a certain share, contribute to the promotion of sustainable development. Furthermore, this methodology can easily be extended across the country and the region, which would bring positive effects to all stakeholders in higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Okanović & Jelena Ješić & Vladimir Đaković & Simonida Vukadinović & Andrea Andrejević Panić, 2021. "Increasing University Competitiveness through Assessment of Green Content in Curriculum and Eco-Labeling in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-20, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:712-:d:479596
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/2/712/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/2/712/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Patrick Möbius & Wilhelm Althammer, 2020. "Sustainable competitiveness: a spatial econometric analysis of European regions," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 63(3), pages 453-480, February.
    2. Hickman Daniel C. & Meyer Andrew G., 2016. "Does Eco-labeling of Services Matter? Evidence from Higher Education," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 16(4), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Christina Theodoraki & Karim Messeghem & Mark Rice, 2018. "A social capital approach to the development of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems: an explorative study," Post-Print hal-02091761, HAL.
    4. Abolfazl Dehghanmongabadi & Şebnem Hoşkara, 2018. "Challenges of Promoting Sustainable Mobility on University Campuses: The Case of Eastern Mediterranean University," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, December.
    5. Danijela Despotovic & Slobodan Cvetanovic & Vladimir Nedic & Milan Despotovic, 2016. "Economic, social and environmental dimension of sustainable competitiveness of European countries," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 59(9), pages 1656-1678, September.
    6. Teisl, Mario F. & Rubin, Jonathan & Noblet, Caroline L., 2008. "Non-dirty dancing? Interactions between eco-labels and consumers," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 140-159, April.
    7. Christina Theodoraki & Karim Messeghem & Mark P. Rice, 2018. "A social capital approach to the development of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems: an explorative study," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 153-170, June.
    8. Monika Urbanski & Walter Filho, 2015. "Measuring sustainability at universities by means of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS): early findings from STARS data," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 209-220, April.
    9. Daniela M. Salvioni & Simona Franzoni & Raffaella Cassano, 2017. "Sustainability in the Higher Education System: An Opportunity to Improve Quality and Image," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-27, May.
    10. Langevin, Jared & Gurian, Patrick L. & Wen, Jin, 2013. "Reducing energy consumption in low income public housing: Interviewing residents about energy behaviors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 1358-1370.
    11. Gheorghe H. Popescu & Violeta Sima & Elvira Nica & Ileana Georgiana Gheorghe, 2017. "Measuring Sustainable Competitiveness in Contemporary Economies—Insights from European Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-26, July.
    12. Giulia Sonetti & Patrizia Lombardi & Lorenzo Chelleri, 2016. "True Green and Sustainable University Campuses? Toward a Clusters Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-23, January.
    13. Maria Rosario Perello-Marín & Gabriela Ribes-Giner & Odette Pantoja Díaz, 2018. "Enhancing Education for Sustainable Development in Environmental University Programmes: A Co-Creation Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-17, January.
    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. Zhifeng Zhang & Fariha Sami & Irfan Ullah & Sami Ullah Khan & Salahuddin Khan, 2024. "Analyzing the green marketing approaches and their impact on consumer behavior toward the environment in China: a logistic regression approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(11), pages 29453-29474, November.
    2. Gkargkavouzi, Anastasia & Halkos, George, 2025. "“Greening” Education for Climate Resilience: Strategies, Implementation, and Curriculum Integration," MPRA Paper 125668, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Gibellato, Simone & Ballestra, Luca Vincenzo & Fiano, Fabio & Graziano, Domenico & Luca Gregori, Gian, 2023. "The impact of education on the Energy Trilemma Index: A sustainable innovativeness perspective for resilient energy systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 330(PB).
    4. Desy Safitri & Fahrurrozi Fahrurrozi & Nina Nurhasanah & Arita Marini & Oman Unju Subandi & Shafruddin Tadjuddin & Murti Kusuma Wirasti & Irah Kasirah, 2022. "Effect of Eco-label and Renewable Energy Projects Knowledge on Environmental Awareness for Elementary School Students," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 12(3), pages 216-226, May.
    5. Dr. Alemar D. Betito & Dr. Jay A. Sario & Dr. Maria Rosario F. Briones, 2026. "Responsible Leadership, Digital Transformation Capability, and Sustainability Performance in Business and Higher Education Institutions," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS), vol. 11(3), pages 696-714, March.
    6. Haya Hoja & Pei Yu, 2022. "RETRACTED: Developing and Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Palestinian National Product: The Leather and Footwear Sector—Analysis and Evaluation of Government Interventions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-29, June.
    7. А.P. Karaeva & M.R. Chashchin & E.R. Magaril, 2021. "Introduction of the Sustainable Development Principles in Universities as a Factor of Increasing Ecological and Economic Security," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 20(4), pages 701-725.
    8. Sungjoo Park & Dayoun Lim, 2022. "Applicability of Olympic Values in Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-14, May.
    9. Mochamad Arief Budihardjo & Bimastyaji Surya Ramadan & Soraya Annisa Putri & Indah Fajarini Sri Wahyuningrum & Fadel Iqbal Muhammad, 2021. "Towards Sustainability in Higher-Education Institutions: Analysis of Contributing Factors and Appropriate Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-14, June.
    10. Abdulhakeem Raji & Abeer Hassan, 2021. "Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, April.

    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. Kara, Karahan & Yalçın, Galip Cihan & Acar, Avni Zafer & Simic, Vladimir & Konya, Serkan & Pamucar, Dragan, 2024. "The MEREC-AROMAN method for determining sustainable competitiveness levels: A case study for Turkey," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    2. Pauline Brunner & Karim Messeghem, 2025. "Exploring the construction of social capital within the student entrepreneurship sub-ecosystem," Post-Print hal-04993466, HAL.
    3. Christina Theodoraki & Alexis Catanzaro, 2022. "Widening the borders of entrepreneurial ecosystem through the international lens," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 383-406, April.
    4. Moyra Marval, 2025. "International linkages between entrepreneurial ecosystems: understanding the role of corporate accelerators," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(3), pages 1407-1426, October.
    5. Nasser Al‐Baimani & Nick Clifton & Eleri Jones & Rhiannon Pugh, 2021. "Applying the ecosystem model in a new context? The case of business incubation in Oman," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 663-686, June.
    6. Wang Jiatong & Zheng Wang & Majid Murad, 2026. "Examining sustainable entrepreneurial behavior among university students: the role of environmental factors, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and green consumption commitment," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 1-27, March.
    7. Xiangfei Yuan & Haijing Hao & Chenghua Guan & Alex Pentland, 2021. "What are the key components of an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a developing economy? A longitudinal empirical study on technology business incubators in China," Papers 2103.08131, arXiv.org.
    8. Manuel Muñoz-Suárez & Natividad Guadalajara & José M. Osca, 2020. "A Comparative Analysis between Global University Rankings and Environmental Sustainability of Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-19, July.
    9. Morgan P. Miles & Mark Morrison, 2020. "An effectual leadership perspective for developing rural entrepreneurial ecosystems," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(4), pages 933-949, April.
    10. Ina Keçi & Luis Miguel López‐Bonilla & Jesús Manuel López‐Bonilla, 2026. "Social Capital, Culture, and Commitment to Sustainability Among Small‐ and Medium‐Sized Enterprises," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(S2), pages 1182-1202, March.
    11. Giulia Sonetti & Caterina Barioglio & Daniele Campobenedetto, 2020. "Education for Sustainability in Practice: A Review of Current Strategies within Italian Universities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-24, June.
    12. Cai Li & Majid Murad & Sheikh Farhan Ashraf, 2023. "The Influence of Women’s Green Entrepreneurial Intention on Green Entrepreneurial Behavior through University and Social Support," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, June.
    13. Rhiannon Pugh & Jana Schmutzler & Alexandra Tsvetkova, 2021. "Taking the systems approaches out of their comfort zones: Perspectives from under explored contexts," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 608-620, June.
    14. Grégory Guéneau & Didier Chabaud & Marie-Christine Chalus Sauvannet, 2022. "Opening entrepreneurial ecosystem’s black box: the power of networks in African low-income countries," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(2), pages 753-772, June.
    15. Ranjani Kumari & Jyoti Verma & Rajeev Verma & Vikas Arya & Armando Papa, 2025. "Flying High With Entrepreneurial Ecosystems—A Systematic Literature Review to Determine the Factors of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 10551-10589, December.
    16. Colin Donaldson, 2021. "Culture in the entrepreneurial ecosystem: a conceptual framing," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 289-319, March.
    17. Lamotte, Olivier, 2025. "Close but not nearby? Rethinking proximity in the digital era of entrepreneurial ecosystems," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    18. Yanzhang Gu & Longying Hu & Hongjin Zhang & Chenxuan Hou, 2021. "Innovation Ecosystem Research: Emerging Trends and Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-21, October.
    19. Lucio M. Peçanha & João J. Ferreira, 2025. "Sustainable strategies and circular economy ecosystems: A literature review and future research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(1), pages 1440-1459, January.
    20. Ángel Rodríguez-López & Jaime E. Souto, 2020. "Empowering entrepreneurial capacity: training, innovation and business ethics," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(1), pages 23-43, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:2:p:712-:d:479596. 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 The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (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.