Universities of the Future as Catalysts for Change: Using the Sustainable Development Goals to Reframe Sustainability - Qatar University as a Case Study

This chapter aims to explore the transformative role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by balancing the scientific foundation and technology tools to transform their campuses into smart communities. It also aims to explore the long-term strategies adopted in academia and research to establish a sustainability culture that will influence the next generation. It provides insights into the policies and strategies that a university could adopt to better align with the SDGs and to link the university community with the external communities with which the university interacts and that it serves. Furthermore, considering the synergy between the increasing role of HEIs and the increasing pressures to lower ecological footprints and achieve key parts of the global sustainability agenda, this chapter seeks to analyze how the universities’ role is envisioned in national visions. It further explores how HEIs can employ their own assets and constituencies within their campus, including its operational, as well as academic, arenas, to overcome sustainable development challenges. Last, the chapter reflects on and draws conclusions regarding the voyage toward sustainability at a strategic level, using the SDG framework toward delivering sustainable development and creating a balance between community-integrated smart campuses and teaching and learning strategies, which contributes to the transition to sustainability. The chapter uses a case study of Qatar University, the first and largest national higher education institution in the country.