Executive summary
Leigh Kamolins
Director of Analytics and Evaluation QS Quacquarelli Symonds
Increasingly driven by environmental and social consciousness, students are aligning their values for a greener, fairer future with their educational decision-making. It is becoming clear that a greater awareness of environmental and social sustainability issues is leading to growing expectations on universities to take action on sustainability and embrace their potential as catalysts for change.
Shaping sustainable futures: Students, universities and green skills explores the landscape of sustainability in higher education, drawing on the perspectives and expectations of students on university sustainability efforts, how able universities are to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges, and the role of universities in preparing students with the green skills needed for a sustainable workforce.
It aims to empower institutions to work together, within the sector and with governments and industries, to harness their position in supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and working towards a more sustainable, equitable and just future.
In this report, we explore key findings and in-depth analysis from a range of QS proprietary data which reveal:
Key findings
For many students, a sustainable university matters more than a high ranking
Almost half of prospective students say they would prefer to study at a sustainable university over a top 100 ranked institution. This highlights an opportunity for universities to ensure that sustainability initiatives feature in their recruitment activities as part of their core offering.
There is a positive connection between sustainability outputs and academic reputation
Data from the QS World University Rankings shows that universities with strong scores in the Academic Reputation metric tend to perform well in the Sustainability metric. Measuring sustainability performance and understanding where your uniqueness lies can enable you to identify the areas where you can have the greatest impact.
The need for green skills in today’s job market has grown threefold
Since 2017, employers have been increasingly looking for green skills in the global labour market (QS 1Mentor). Green skills are most in-demand across the ‘big four’ destinations, and India, where the country’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to integrate green skills into educational programmes to promote sustainability.
Key recommendations
There is a powerful opportunity for universities to improve and leverage sustainability performance to:
Amplify credentials and initiatives to attract sustainably-minded students
Highlight your institution’s commitment to sustainability through clear policies, initiatives, and programmes aligned with the UN’s SDGs. Forge partnerships with businesses, governments, and organisations to provide students with internships, research opportunities, and real-world experiences in global sustainability efforts.
Leverage sustainability to enhance institutional reputation and global impact
Use sustainability to differentiate your institution globally, leveraging rankings to measure success and showcase leadership. Collaboration will be key to expand sustainability efforts, share best practices, and drive positive change locally and globally.
Empower students with the skills for a sustainable future
Embed green skills and sustainability competencies into your curriculum to prepare graduates for emerging environmental and social challenges. Collaborate with industry leaders to align curricula with future green economy needs, offering students practical experience through internships, projects, and work placements in sustainability-focused roles.