This presentation was part of the 2015 ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme in Sabah, Malaysia.

1. Integrating the principles of sustainability in
higher education: A case study of the
University Malaysia Sabah
Group 5: Alam
Preeti Aggarwal, Khalid Hossain, Ruwaidiah Idris and
Ravinder Singh Ziad Rattan-Aulia
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2. Proposed structure
1. Introduction
2. Problem statement
3. Objectives
4. Literature review
5. Methodology
6. Study background
7. Conclusion and recommendations
8. Reference
9. Appendix
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3. Problem statement
• The higher education institute (HEI) plays an pivotal role in
developing human resources for economic development.
• But most of these institutions are disengaged with the communities
and unaware about the environmental and social needs.
• Recently, the role of HEIs’ is observed to change, from mere
‘education disseminators’ to ‘idea promotors’ in order to drive change
at community level.
• This paper will discuss the integration of sustainability principles by
University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), in order to highlight best-practises
and challenges faced by HEIs aiming to integrate sustainability
principles into its way of life.
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4. Literature review
1. Adnan. 2015. Sustainable development, Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable
Development Goals. Proceeding of 2015 ProSPER.net leadership Program, 22-30 August
2015, Sabah, Malaysia.
2. UMS, 2013. Blue print, Eco Camus Transforming Ideas into Reality. UMS ISBN 978-967-
0521-053
3. Justine. 2015. The role of UMS in promoting through research, teaching, learning and
community engagement. Proceeding of 2015 ProSPER.net leadership Program, 22-30
August 2015, Sabah, Malaysia.
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5. Objectives
1. To describe sustainability and its principles in context of higher
education institutions (HEI)
2. To analyse the initiatives taken by UMS in order to integrate the
principles of sustainability
3. To identify challenges and suggest plausible solution to apply
sustainability principles in HEI
Methodology
1. Primary data collection: Focus group discussion, in-depth interview and
observation
2. Secondary data collection: Document analysis
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6. Research paper writing approach
GEED Co
• Use objective and sub-objective
• General
• Explanations
• Examples
• Experience/Diagram/Data/photo (proofs)
• Conclusion
• Limitations & recommendation
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7. Preliminary observation
O.1: To describe sustainability and its principles in context of higher
education institutions (HEI) (Ravi)
According to Prof. Hezri, the sustainability model is a challenge to
conventional forms of development
• seeks to reconcile the ecological, social and economic dimensions of
development, now and into the future
• acknowledges biophysical limits to growth and prizes the preservation of
ecosystem services
• agenda of social justice within and across current and future generations
These can also be used as the indicators in terms of integrating sustainability
in HEIs.
Stakeholders: Boards, Admin, Faculty, Students, Researcher, Workers,
Community, Academia, Regulatory, Industry
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8. O.2: To analyse the initiatives taken by UMS in order to integrate
the principles of sustainability (Khalid & Tina)
Established in 1994, 3 campus and main one in Sabah, 17,000 students and 2000 staff.
Total area of the UMS is 999 acres. 10 Faculty and institutes, 3 campus
Aim of UMS:
- To be global player in sustainability
- To recognize decision and actions on
Sustainable aspects
- Need to educate responsibility to all stakeholders
EcoCampus Key Elements
Introduction of Eco campus project in the year 2013
Eco campus: It is platform to promote active and
systematic actions
How sustainability happen in UMS?
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9. O.2: To analyse the initiatives taken by UMS in order to integrate
the principles of sustainability
• Outreach programmes
established
• Emphasis on the
environment and
sustainable development
programme contents
reviewed. Introduction of
environmental
perspectives in the
curriculum
• 3R project/5R (Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle, Renew
and Respect), emission
reduction project, and
energy conservation
project implemented
• EcoCampus seminars and
workshops organised.
• EcoCampus initiative
launched
• Governing body for
EcoCampus
established.
• Environmental
Management System
(EMS) initiated
towards MS-ISO 14001
• Energy, Water, and
Paper Saving
Programmes reinforced
• Research proposals on
environment and
sustainable
development
Year 1: Jan- Dec 2013
• Environmental Management
System (EMS) implemented.
• International recognition and
accreditation
• Audit and management
review conducted.
• Results through international
frameworks engaged and
shared.
• Networks to discuss best
practice and exchange ideas
set up.
• Continual improvement
reviewed.
• Carbon footprint reduced
(greening of the campus).
• Milestone projects
implemented.
• Progressive training of staff
in environmental
management system.
• Environmental audit
carried out (conformance
of environmental
procedures documented).
• Green investment
mechanisms established.
Year 2: Jan- Dec 2014 Year 3: Jan- Dec 2015
• Continual improvement reviewed.
• EcoCampus status declared
• Environmental solutions to other institutions of higher
education to achieve EcoCampus® status provided.
• Procurement policy in place.
• Continual improvement reviewed.
Year 4: Jan- Dec 2016 Year 5: Jan- Dec 2017
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10. How they are doing it?
8 committees responsible in providing overall leadership for sustainability work
Members: One head and 4 faculty members only
Committees:
• Wastes Management
• Energy and Water
• Tourism
• Environmental Leadership and Awareness
• Landscape and Greening
• Environmental Management System (ISO14001)
• Transport and Low Carbon
• Green Ranking and Reports
Actions:
• Reviewed current curriculum and included sustainability aspects
• Introduced green technology and waste management principles
• Partnership with industry for waste management and NGOs for waste collection from
Gaya Island
• Future focus on ‘promoting the campus as Eco-tourism location’
• Environmental awareness for students
• Research funding for promoting renewable energy, waste management and climate
research
• Biodiversity conservation through awareness from Museums
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11. O.3: To identify challenges and suggest plausible solution to apply
sustainability principles in HEI (Preeti)
• Curriculum development and implementation- Not taken up easily by faculty,
mind-set change
• Top-down approach of integrating sustainability only. Need to promote bottom
up approach fro effective implementation
• Strong technical implementation and soft approach used on behavioural
change
• Policy advocacy should be increased, community involvement and social
contribution should be increased
• Students and other faculty should be included in sustainability integration
• Eco-campus concept is useful if it is inspiring and creates awareness among
every level of the society: Move from Eco to Sustainable approach- SWOT
analysis of ecotourism and include bottom-down approach
• Issues related to ecotourism, ethical concerns need to be reflected and
incorporated
• Social aspect - Not disable friendly
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12. Conclusions and recommendation
• HEI’s in Malaysia have started to understand the
importance of sustainability principle integration (USM,
UMS)
• UMS has adopted eco-campus approach
• Several recommendations:
• Need to move from ‘ECO’ to ‘Sustainable Campus’
• Move from top-down to bottom up approach
• SWOT analysis of Eco-tourism
• Active involvement of students in implementing campus
sustainability projects
• Community engagement and policy advocacy has to be
strengthened
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