Integrating sustainability in higher education: a Swedish case

Purpose – This paper aims to unveil how sustainability is integrated into the courses/programmes ofhigher education institutions. The research question addressed is: how do academics representing differentdisciplines cooperate and engage in the work of integrating sustainability into their teaching programmes.Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws upon the notions of practise variation andinstitutional work from institutional theory and empirically focusses on the case of Kristianstad University(Sweden). This case is based on an autoethnographic approach and illustrates the experiences shared by sixcolleagues, representing different disciplines, engaged in implementing sustainability in their courses/programmes.Findings – The findings highlight how academics representing different disciplines, with specific traditionsand characteristics, face the sustainability challenge. Despite being bound by similar sustainable developmentgoals, differences across disciplines need to be acknowledged and used as an asset if trans-disciplinarity is theultimate goal.Research limitations/implications – Although the intrinsic motivation of individuals to work withsustainability might be a strong driver, the implementation of sustainability within courses/programmes andacross disciplines requires joint efforts and collective institutional work.Practical implications – By highlighting how academics engage in the work of integratingsustainability, this study emphasizes that managers of higher education institutions need to account for thetime and additional resources needed to ensure that academics effectively cope with sustainability. Intrinsicmotivation may not last if organizational structures and leadership are not supportive on a practical level andin the long run.