Abstract:

Everyone is responsible! Individuals and organizations from all over the world should be concerned with sustainability concepts and applications; universities are sharing the responsibility towards sustainability issues. Hence, several higher education institutions, particularly in the developed countries, are taking a leading and proactive role in green initiatives. Additionally, several regional and international associations and networks have been established to promote and recognize sustainable universities’ campuses. However, higher education institutions in some countries and regions still have not considered sustainability in their strategies and everyday operations.

The paper reviews and determines what the leading universities in sustainability initiatives are doing to enforce sustainability. The benchmarking exercise and comparative analysis are conducted according to the following criteria:
- Strategic Goals
- Institutional Organization
- Educational System
- University Stakeholders
- Physical Environment and Resources

In this context, the paper presents and discusses the efforts of Gulf University (GU) in Bahrain to integrate sustainability in its cultural, educational and physical environments, where the university management, staff and students from various backgrounds and disciplines are sharing comprehensive understanding and best practices of sustainability.

The paper classifies GU’s reflections on sustainability into three categories:
- Believing: University Vision, Mission and Core Values
- Learning: Graduates Attributes, Program Aims, Curriculum Design
- Practicing: University Campus, Facilities, Research and Initiatives towards the Community

The results of the paper emphasize and draw the role of higher education institutions in sustainable development of the national and regional communities. The higher education has the opportunity to be engaged and lead cultural changes, in addition to present real life showcases to prove the positive impact on the three dimensions of sustainability: environment, economics and society.

Keywords:

Suitability, Higher Education, Gulf University, Cultural Change, Green Campus, Curriculum Design.