Student participation and sustainable (higher education) transformation
The focus is on individual, institutional, and societal factors contributing to success, as well as on the structural effects of student participation (StuPan).
Higher education institutions face the challenge of evolving in the context of socio-ecological transformation processes. Societal demands such as sustainability and the strengthening of democratic structures require changes in research, teaching, knowledge transfer, and university organization. As sites of systematic knowledge production and as important interfaces with society, higher education institutions play a central role in shaping sustainable development. This responsibility is already explicitly enshrined in many state higher education laws. For transformation processes to succeed optimally, participation, dialogue, and collaboration among all members of the university community are necessary. Students, in particular, are seen as playing an important role as shapers of sustainable development (“change agents”).
The project examines the individual, institutional, and societal conditions under which student engagement in sustainability at universities is successful, as well as the structural effects that student participation can have. It is designed to be interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary and is theoretically grounded in the multi-level perspective of transformation research. This approach enables a nuanced analysis of the interactions between societal, organizational, group-level, and individual levels within the higher education context.
The University of Regensburg is conducting a systematic literature review to identify key characteristics of student sustainability initiatives in an international comparison. In addition, the netzwerk n is planning workshops with student initiatives to identify societal and higher education policy factors that influence student engagement. At the University of Leipzig, psychological predictors of student engagement are being identified as part of a quantitative longitudinal study. The Weingarten University of Education is examining students’ subjective experiences in the higher education context through qualitative case studies.
Project Duration: March 2026 – March 2029
Project Sponsor: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space
Project Partners: University of Leipzig, Weingarten University of Education, netzwerk n
Project Leaders: Prof. Dr. Mandy Singer-Brodowski, Sissy Kreid