Sustainability in the Decision Making of Pakistan Public Universities: A Vital Initiative

Abstract

The higher education institutions (HEIs) bear a prime responsibility to incorporate sustainability in their functions of teaching, learning, research, operations and services in order to prepare their students to lead in maintaining a balance in economic, environmental and social spheres. However, the reasons to embed sustainability in HEIs have been a variable phenomenon. This paper intends to explore why it is compulsory to make decisions for sustainability at Pakistani Public Universities (PPUs). The nature of the study being exploratory dictated to accomplish it under the grounded theory approach. The sample was selected based on the purposive sampling technique as the participants, academic administrators, had the capacity to decide on the need of sustainability. One_x0002_on-one audio recorded interviews were conducted to take deeper understanding of ten participants on the need of sustainability. These interviews were transcribed and analyzed based on the thematic analysis that produced three themes: decision making for sustainability, policy issues, and awareness initiatives. The findings showed that decision making for sustainability is carried out from two different sources: decision making by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and decision making by the university charter. The findings also highlighted that though there are awareness initiatives yet the concerted and coordinated efforts to promote sustainability are missing from the decision making of PPUs. This study was conducted to a limited number of Pakistan Public Universities. Thus, the findings may not be generalized. However, these findings have the characteristic of transferability to the public universities only and not the private ones. The study implied to explore further the ways through which sustainability can be integrated in PPUs’ functions.