Abstract:

Universities play a critical role in addressing global sustainability challenges, making it increasingly important to understand their commitment to sustainability and the perceptions of key stakeholders within these institutions. One area of particular interest is the students' perspective, as they represent the future generation of professionals and leaders who will be tasked with advancing sustainable practices. Given the increasing global interest in the role of universities in advancing sustainability objectives, an expanding number of universities have made commitments towards sustainability. However, limited awareness among university stakeholders and academics regarding the underlying principles of sustainability remains a concern. In light of this knowledge gap concerning the perceptions of key university stakeholders with regard to the university's contribution to sustainable development, recent studies have aimed to explore the perceptions of university students concerning the elements that constitute a sustainable university and the role these elements play in the implementation process. Additionally, these studies have examined how students incorporate the objectives of sustainable development into their daily lives and professional endeavors. Data for this research were collected through a questionnaire administered to master's students enrolled in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Oradea, Romania, and subsequently analyzed using the AMOS and SPSS software packages. To assess the impact of various factors associated with a sustainable university on university students, a structural equation model (SEM) was employed. The findings of this study revealed a positive influence of environmental sustainability and campus sustainability on students' attitudes towards the application of sustainability criteria. However, in terms of the factors underlying the analysis of sustainability education within the Faculty of Economic Sciences, it was observed that these factors exerted a relatively lesser influence on students' attitudes towards the implementation of sustainability criteria.

Keywords:

SEM, environmental sustainability, education, university.