Global Surveys on HESD
Under the Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) priority area, the IAU conducts comprehensive global surveys on HESD, serving as a cornerstone for understanding and advancing sustainable practices in higher education worldwide. These surveys delve into diverse aspects of sustainability within educational institutions, capturing insights on curriculum integration, institutional policies, and community engagement initiatives. Through rigorous data collection and analysis, the IAU's global surveys offer invaluable insights into the current landscape of HESD, informing strategic decision-making and fostering collaborative efforts towards a more sustainable future for higher education institutions globally. The next data collection for the 4th IAU HESD Survey is planned for early 2026.
The Global Surveys in Numbers
Number of Participating Institutions
Number of Countries and Territories
Editions of the Survey
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IAU will conduct the 4th Global Survey on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development in early 2026. Preparations are under way, including working with partners and the Survey Advisory Group.
Stay tuned for more updates and sign up here to be notified when the survey opens! -
This report is the result of the analysis of the 3rd Global Survey on HESD conducted by IAU in 2022. It shows the critical role that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play in achieving the SDGs and where challenges persist. The survey received 464 valid responses, from all world regions, on questions around different areas of engagement for sustainable development and how HEIs include the SDGs in their activities, following a whole-institution approach.
Furthermore, the survey looked closer at partnerships, leadership and strategy for SD and the relatively new concept of Climate Change Education (CCE). This report provides data and thus shows the global commitment and responsibilities of many HEIs towards the 2030 Agenda and SD more generally. It can be used as a starting point for further research.
Learn more and read the full report here.
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This report is the result of the analysis of the 2nd Global Survey on HESD conducted by IAU in June and July 2019 in preparation for the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) held every year at the United Nations’ Headquarters in New York. It shows the important role that Universities and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play in the achievement of the SDGs and where issues still exists. It is also proof of the commitment and responsibilities of many HEIs globally towards the 2030 Agenda.
538 valid responses, from all world regions, were received by IAU during the six weeks the survey was open. The report analyses how universities engage with the SDGs in particular and how they promote sustainable more broadly speaking. It is the only survey that maps the contributions of the higher education sector towards the 2030 Agenda at a global level.
Learn more and red the full report here.
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120 higher education institutions from all continents took part in the survey. The results underline that sustainable development is of strong interest for universities and that it is being integrated at all levels
Learn more and read the full report here.
Other HESD Publications
Next to a publication series with IAU Members based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), IAU publishes annual reports on the activities of the IAU HESD Cluster Network and engages with other thematically relevant publications. Previous SDG Publications include: SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) in 2025, SDG 3 (Health and Wellbeing) Whitepaper in 2023, a publication on SDG 14 (Life below water) with the University of Bergen in 2021, a special collection of papers on Higher Education and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), resulting from a paper competition for young scholars with UNODC/E4J in 2021, as well as a publication on SDG 5 (Gender Equality) on International Women’s Day in March 2021 and a publication on SDG 13 (Climate Action) in July 2019.
