IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i6p2530-d1611630.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Saudi Arabian Higher Education Institutions in Sustainable Development: Participation, Framework Alignment, and Strategic Insights

Author

Listed:
  • Hafiz Abdul Wajid

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, Islamic University of Madinah, Madinah 42351, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Higher education institutions (HEIs) primarily serve as centers of knowledge, capacity builders, and policy influencers and choose to voluntarily engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) as they are not mandated to implement them. In this paper, we examine the role of Saudi Arabian higher education institutions (HEIs) in sustainability efforts through their participation in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings (THE IR) from 2019 to 2024. Also, the strategic alignment of HEIS with sustainability frameworks is assessed, emphasizing their contributions beyond ranking participation. Using the European University Association (EUA) and the UN-KSA Cooperation Framework (2022–2026), this study identifies both achievements and strategic gaps in HEIs’ contributions. Additionally, a comparative analysis with the Saudi Arabian Sustainable Development Report (SDR) of 2024 explores HEIs broader contributions. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) is applied to classify HEIs based on SDG engagement, identifying leading, partnering, and supporting HEIs for potential collaboration. The findings reveal a significant increase in HEI participation, rising from 4% in 2019 to 49% in 2024. However, persistent gaps exist, particularly in SDGs 1–2 and 12–15 (addressed by fewer than 10% of HEIs) and SDGs 7, 9–11, and 16 (targeted by fewer than 25% of HEIs). This study highlights the need for a structured strategic alignment beyond rankings, positioning HEIs as enablers of sustainability driven education, research, and institutional governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Hafiz Abdul Wajid, 2025. "The Role of Saudi Arabian Higher Education Institutions in Sustainable Development: Participation, Framework Alignment, and Strategic Insights," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-24, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2530-:d:1611630
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2530/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2530/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ismaila Rimi Abubakar & Yusuf A. Aina & Habib M. Alshuwaikhat, 2020. "Sustainable Development at Saudi Arabian Universities: An Overview of Institutional Frameworks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-15, September.
    2. 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.
    3. Elena Fleacă & Bogdan Fleacă & Sanda Maiduc, 2018. "Aligning Strategy with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Process Scoping Diagram for Entrepreneurial Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, March.
    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. Reda M. S. Abdulaal & Anas A. Makki & Isam Y. Al-Filali, 2023. "A Novel Hybrid Approach for Prioritizing Investment Initiatives to Achieve Financial Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions Using MEREC-G and RATMI," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Ali M. Al-Bahi & Mohamed S. Abd-Elwahed & Abdelfattah Y. Soliman, 2021. "Implementation of Sustainability Indicators in Engineering Education Using a Combined Balanced Scorecard and Quality Function Deployment Approaches," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-28, June.
    3. Kouam, Jean & Asongu, Simplice, 2022. "Effects of Taxation on Social Innovation and Implications for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Developing Countries: A Literature Review," MPRA Paper 114061, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Maria Federica Cordova & Andrea Celone, 2019. "SDGs and Innovation in the Business Context Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-14, December.
    5. M. Isabel Sánchez-Hernández & Juan José Maldonado-Briegas, 2019. "Sustainable Entrepreneurial Culture Programs Promoting Social Responsibility: A European Regional Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-19, July.
    6. Zorica Lazić & Aleksandar Đorđević & Albina Gazizulina, 2021. "Improvement of Quality of Higher Education Institutions as a Basis for Improvement of Quality of Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-27, April.
    7. Andra-Teodora Gorski & Elena-Diana Ranf & Dorel Badea & Elisabeta-Emilia Halmaghi & Hortensia Gorski, 2023. "Education for Sustainability—Some Bibliometric Insights," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-17, October.
    8. Jean C. Kouam & Simplice A. Asongu & Bin J. Meh & Robert Nantchouang & Fri L. Asanga & Denis Foretia, 2024. "Duration of Support and Financial Health of Business Support Structures in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Ghana: A Micro-Econometric Analysis," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(4), pages 728-746, October.
    9. Miguel Carvalho Oliveira & João Proença, 2025. "Sustainable Campus Operations in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-34, January.
    10. Walaa Al Husban, 2025. "The Impact of Integrating Sustainable Development Goals on Students’ Awareness and Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Case Study of Jordan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-24, March.
    11. Sean Kruger & Adriana Aletta Steyn, 2020. "Enhancing technology transfer through entrepreneurial development: practices from innovation spaces," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(6), pages 1655-1689, December.
    12. Ewa Cichowicz & Ewa Rollnik-Sadowska, 2018. "Inclusive Growth in CEE Countries as a Determinant of Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-23, October.
    13. Wenliang Li & Ti Hu, 2023. "Research on the Construction of Index System to Promote the Sustainable Development of Core Literacy of Physical Education Teachers in Chinese Universities from the Perspective of Higher Education Mod," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-23, September.
    14. Matthias Filser & Sascha Kraus & Norat Roig-Tierno & Norbert Kailer & Ulrike Fischer, 2019. "Entrepreneurship as Catalyst for Sustainable Development: Opening the Black Box," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-18, August.
    15. Abdulaziz I. Almulhim & Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, 2021. "Understanding Public Environmental Awareness and Attitudes toward Circular Economy Transition in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-15, September.
    16. A.K Ermeey & M.N Sidek & S Omar, 2024. "Impactful Learning: A Study on Student Activities in UiTM Cawangan Terengganu Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(6), pages 3014-3019, June.
    17. Francisca Castilla-Polo & María Consuelo Ruiz-Rodríguez & Alonso Moreno & Ana Licerán-Gutiérrez & Macario Cámara de la Fuente & Eva Chamorro Rufián & Manuel Cano-Rodríguez, 2020. "Classroom Learning and the Perception of Social Responsibility Amongst Graduate Students of Management Accounting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-22, August.
    18. Francisco Del Cerro Velázquez & Ginés Morales Méndez, 2018. "Augmented Reality and Mobile Devices: A Binominal Methodological Resource for Inclusive Education (SDG 4). An Example in Secondary Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, September.
    19. Henao, Rafael & Sarache, William, 2022. "Sustainable performance in manufacturing operations: The cumulative approach vs. trade-offs approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    20. Mariusz Jaworski & Ewa Chojnowska & Leena Viitaharju, 2024. "Striving for Sustainability in Educational Institutions: Assessing the Effectiveness of an Intervention Using the ‘Getting Involved in a Change Process (ECP)’ Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-18, December.

    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:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2530-:d:1611630. 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.