Intermediary organizations and their role in advancing the SDGs in higher education
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Author / Producer
Date
2024
Publication Type
Journal Article, Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
no
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Abstract
Drawing on evidence from documents and semi-structured interviews with members of the Catalan system of higher education, this research explores how intermediary organizations (IOs) facilitate the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), conceived as a global policy framework, in local contexts. We observed that, despite the voluntary nature of SDGs-related policies, most Catalan public universities embraced the SDGs. Two contextual factors likely facilitated their effective engagement with this global initiative: first, the autonomy granted by regional and national governments to the higher education sector when it comes to social responsibility, and, second, the willingness and ability of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Catalonia to work with the SDGs. The key element added to these contextual factors was the collaboration stimulated by meso-level actors, namely Catalan intermediaries. The Catalan case exhibits a process whereby IOs effectively engage with HEIs, forging a platform for collaboration; in turn, this led the local government to delegate the task of promoting the SDGs to IOs. This paper contributes to the debate in global higher education policy-making as it discusses the policy implications of the involvement of intermediary actors in bringing global policy frameworks to local level.
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Publication status
published
External links
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
8 (1)
Pages / Article No.
56 - 84
Publisher
Routledge
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Higher education policy; Sustainability; The SDGs; Intermediaries
Organisational unit
02869 - Swiss School of Public Governance / Swiss School of Public Governance