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Comparing Sustainable Universities between the United States and China: Cases of Indiana University and Tsinghua University

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  • Yonghua Zou

    (School of Public Administration, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, 3 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210046, China
    Collaborative Innovation Center for New Urbanization and Social Governance in Jiangsu Province, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China)

  • Wanxia Zhao

    (Institute of Urban Development Studies, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, 3 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210046, China)

  • Robert Mason

    (Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia, 19122 PA, USA)

  • Meizhen Li

    (School of Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, 30 Shuangqing Road, Haidian, Beijing 100084, China)

Abstract

It is widely accepted that universities can play critical roles in promoting sustainability. In the United States and China, many universities have initiated sustainability programs. Employing Indiana University, Bloomington, the U.S. (IUB) and Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (Tsinghua) as two cases, we examine the conceptualization and implementation of university sustainability programs through a comparison of their respective definitions, goals, organizational dynamics, and strategies. We find that IUB’s sustainability scheme is more detailed and specific, while Tsinghua’s is more general; this is principally attributable to differences in national and local contexts. Furthermore, IUB values the environmental, economic, and social aspects of university sustainability equally, while Tsinghua focuses more on the environmental aspect. In addition, IUB has a more loosely-structured and more inclusive sustainability organizational dynamic while Tsinghua has a more hierarchical one. This comparative study helps us to understand how these two research universities understand and implement sustainability within the respective cultural, political, and institutional contexts of the United States and China.

Suggested Citation

  • Yonghua Zou & Wanxia Zhao & Robert Mason & Meizhen Li, 2015. "Comparing Sustainable Universities between the United States and China: Cases of Indiana University and Tsinghua University," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(9), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:9:p:11799-11817:d:54770
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    2. Yonghua Zou & Wanxia Zhao, 2014. "Anatomy of Tsinghua University Science Park in China: institutional evolution and assessment," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(5), pages 663-674, October.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gladys Mutinda & Zhimin Liu, 2021. "On the Roles of World-Class Universities and the Sustainability Agenda in Africa: A Case Study of Two Universities in South Africa and Egypt," Higher Education Studies, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(4), pages 1-70, November.
    3. Andrew Bieler & Marcia McKenzie, 2017. "Strategic Planning for Sustainability in Canadian Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-22, January.
    4. Jacqueline Bailão da Silva Lopes & Thiago Almeida Vieira, 2021. "Sustainable University: From the Worldwide Conception to the Brazilian Amazonia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-31, September.
    5. Yuan Ma & Jingzhi Men & Wei Cui, 2020. "Does Environmental Education Matter? Evidence from Provincial Higher Education Institutions in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-13, August.
    6. Yan Ning & Jiaojiao Chen, 2016. "Improving Residential Satisfaction of University Dormitories through Post-Occupancy Evaluation in China: A Socio-Technical System Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-17, October.
    7. 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.
    8. Yuan Ma & Qiang Zhang & Qiyue Yin & Bingcheng Wang, 2019. "The Influence of Top Managers on Environmental Information Disclosure: The Moderating Effect of Company’s Environmental Performance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-15, April.

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