Integrating the Four Pillars of the SDGs in Higher Education – A Systematic PRISMA Review (2020-2024)
Abstract
The systematic PRISMA review carried out in this study presents global evidence regarding the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 2020 to 2024, thus filling a substantial gap in the literature. The review of 21 peer-reviewed articles brings to light the shift from purely theoretical support to the practical implementation of SDG frameworks and points out the four-pillar model—covering Education, Research, Operations/Governance, and External Leadership/Outreach—as the winner in terms of integration strategy. The results show that there is a common opinion about the advantages of this method, especially regarding the increase of student participation, motivation, and skills in sustainability. Nevertheless, there are some difficulties in this regard, such as the prevalence of ad-hoc and topdown initiatives, non-existence of common measurement tools, and inconsistency in the implementation across different geographical and institutional contexts. The review points out the qualitative methods as the predominant ones in such studies and calls for more empirical and longitudinal research that can demonstrate causal relationships and evaluate the impact of the education system in sustainability efforts in the long run. It is thus the case that the study practically answers the question of whether academic institutions have a critical role to play in the sustainable development process and at the same time provides a very comprehensive classification of integration models with accompanying recommendations for university leaders, faculty, researchers, and policymakers that can help to increase the contribution of higher education towards the 2030 Agenda and subsequently achieve a sustainable future.