TY - CHAP

T1 - The Role of Assessment and Quality Management in Transformations towards Sustainable Development

T2 - The Nexus between Higher Education, Society and Policy

AU - Mader, Clemens

PY - 2014/11

Y1 - 2014/11

N2 - Local as well as global challenges including financial crises, climate change, poverty, social inequalities and loss of biodiversity can only be addressed successfully through initiatives and innovations that take a long-term perspective and are developed and implemented holistically and inclusively. This requires taking into account a variety of values and perspectives, and figuring out how best to link the disciplines and create relevant and feasible scenarios for sustainable development. This, in turn, requires people with systems thinking, interpersonal, anticipatory, strategic as well as normative competences (Wiek et al., 2011). As higher education institutions (HEIs) are the incubators of innovation and the producers of future decision-makers, they have the potential to become transformational institutions for society as a whole — to address not only the needs of today but the needs of tomorrow and the development of a sustainable future. But to do this they need to transform themselves (Rio+20 Treaty on Higher Education, 2014). And this poses a major change agenda as it requires them to develop a ‘fit for purpose’ institutional management, shared leadership through inclusive governance and open processes and education and learning programmes that enable people to take agency and undertake innovation through transdisciplinary research.

AB - Local as well as global challenges including financial crises, climate change, poverty, social inequalities and loss of biodiversity can only be addressed successfully through initiatives and innovations that take a long-term perspective and are developed and implemented holistically and inclusively. This requires taking into account a variety of values and perspectives, and figuring out how best to link the disciplines and create relevant and feasible scenarios for sustainable development. This, in turn, requires people with systems thinking, interpersonal, anticipatory, strategic as well as normative competences (Wiek et al., 2011). As higher education institutions (HEIs) are the incubators of innovation and the producers of future decision-makers, they have the potential to become transformational institutions for society as a whole — to address not only the needs of today but the needs of tomorrow and the development of a sustainable future. But to do this they need to transform themselves (Rio+20 Treaty on Higher Education, 2014). And this poses a major change agenda as it requires them to develop a ‘fit for purpose’ institutional management, shared leadership through inclusive governance and open processes and education and learning programmes that enable people to take agency and undertake innovation through transdisciplinary research.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Sustainability education

KW - High education institution

KW - Integrative development

KW - Quality management system

KW - Sustainability assessment

KW - Sustainable development

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85038848184&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1057/9781137459145_4

DO - 10.1057/9781137459145_4

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-1-349-49873-4

T3 - Palgrave Studies in Global Higher Education

SP - 66

EP - 83

BT - Sustainable Development and Quality Assurance in Higher Education

A2 - Fadeeva, Zinaida

A2 - Galkute , Laima

A2 - Mader, Clemens

A2 - Scott, Geoff

PB - Palgrave Macmillan

CY - Houndmills

ER -