Sustainability Governance and Policy Integration in Turkish Higher Education
Feride Öksüz Gül
Advancing Diversity, Sustainability, and Reform in Global Higher Education · IGI Global Scientific Publishing · 24 September 2025
Summary based on abstract and available bibliographic information
Editorial Summary
This chapter examines the integration of sustainability metrics within Turkish higher education institutions, focusing on the tension between institutional autonomy and top-down policy mandates. The study highlights how universities, particularly those not in the top tier, remain largely reactive in their sustainability efforts.
Central Research Question
How is sustainability embedded within university governance structures, and how do universities engage with national and global benchmarks like UI GreenMetric?
Key Findings
Sustainability integration in Turkish universities is predominantly compliance-driven; top-tier institutions show proactive planning, whereas others rely on reactive, state-mandated approaches.
Methodology
Content analysis of strategic plans, policy documents, and institutional reports
Evidence
Assessment of strategic planning documents and institutional reports from universities participating in the UI GreenMetric ranking system.
Limitations
Not specified in available source
Why It Matters
While focusing on Turkey, this research offers a critical lesson for African higher education institutions that are increasingly pressured to adopt global sustainability rankings. It highlights the risk of 'compliance-only' culture, where sustainability becomes a reporting exercise rather than a transformative strategy. African institutional leaders can learn to balance state requirements with meaningful, autonomous institutional capacity building.
Practical Implications
The author suggests a hybrid governance model that balances centralized mandates with institutional autonomy to foster more authentic sustainability progress.
This page provides an original summary and contextual presentation of the source publication. Consult the original publication for the complete research, evidence, methods and conclusions.
Cite this Publication
Feride Öksüz Gül (2025). Sustainability Governance and Policy Integration in Turkish Higher Education. Advancing Diversity, Sustainability, and Reform in Global Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-6871-9.ch007
