Abstract:

This study explores university students’ awareness, perceptions, behaviors, learning needs, and perceived barriers related to sustainable digitalization in higher education. The research was conducted within the Erasmus+ project EcoDigify (2024-1-SE01-KA220-HED-000250071), coordinated by Linköping University (Sweden) and implemented in collaboration with Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands), Ca’ Foscari University (Italy), International Hellenic University (Greece), and Stimmuli for Social Change (Greece).

Data were collected through a cross-national online survey administered between November 2025 and January 2026. A total of 145 university students from Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Greece participated. The sample consisted mainly of Bachelor-level students (71%), followed by Master-level students (22%) and doctoral candidates (7%), representing multiple disciplines with a strong presence of computer science and technology-related fields. The questionnaire included Likert-scale items addressing awareness and perceptions, behavioral practices, learning needs, and perceived institutional barriers related to sustainable digitalization.

The findings indicate that students demonstrate relatively high awareness of sustainable digitalization and recognize the importance of environmentally responsible digital practices within their academic fields. Respondents also express concern about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence, large-scale data use, and digital infrastructures. However, perceptions of institutional communication and student influence on sustainable digital practices are more moderate, suggesting that sustainability-related digital initiatives are not yet fully embedded across university environments.

In terms of behaviors, students report moderate adoption of sustainable digital practices. Device lifecycle practices, such as maintaining devices, repairing them, and recycling electronic waste, are relatively common. In contrast, energy-saving digital behaviors, such as adjusting video settings to reduce data consumption, are less widely adopted. Students also report limited advocacy for sustainable digital choices in collaborative academic work, indicating a gap between awareness and everyday practice.

A particularly strong finding concerns learning needs. Students express high interest in developing competencies related to sustainable digitalization, including measuring and reducing the carbon footprint of digital technologies, eco-design of digital systems, energy-efficient computing, and greener cloud and data storage practices. Interest in ethical dimensions such as fairness and responsible data use is also present, though slightly lower than interest in technical aspects.

Perceived barriers are generally moderate rather than severe, indicating that the main challenges are not related to lack of motivation but to structural conditions within universities. Students report uneven integration of digital sustainability topics in teaching, limited visibility of institutional initiatives, and restricted opportunities for hands-on experimentation with sustainable digital practices.

The results suggest that universities have a significant opportunity to translate students’ awareness and motivation into sustained sustainable digital practices through stronger curriculum integration, practical learning activities, and institutional communication strategies.

Keywords:

Sustainable Digitalisation, Higher Education, Erasmus+, Educational Innovation, Cooperation partnerships in Higher Education.