Assessing the Enactus Global Sustainability Initiative’s Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons for Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Various institutions across the world encourage young people to get involved in community development initiatives and set up small businesses that contribute to the sustainability of society. There is a growing body of literature suggesting that Enactus International is a key stakeholder in this endeavor, as university students’ transformational innovations are developed and exported through Enactus-established collaborations. However, further investigation is required to identify how this phenomenon works. Previous studies have not explored Enactus student teams’ sustainability practices in relation to global goals, and most were limited to the context of a particular institution. As a result, this article examines the relationship between the Enactus sustainability initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, thus identifying critical lessons for South African higher education institutions as well as HEIs in other nations facing comparable circumstances. A focused review methodology is used in this analysis to assess the Enactus global sustainability initiative’s alignment with the SDGs, which involves a comprehensive search of the Web of Science and Scopus databases to identify relevant articles. As the year 2030 approaches, the authors warn that university stakeholders’ resistance to change and knowledge gaps about sustainability practices, as well as other limiting factors identified in this study, may impede the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in the country. This study intends to encourage higher education institutions as change agents, stimulating them to take the lead in overcoming obstacles to the attainment of the SDGs by 2030. The study illuminates cogent approaches necessary for HEIs to create a more sustainable world. It specifically highlights the multidisciplinary perspective and collaborative opportunities offered by SDG-driven organizations.

Keywords

• Enactus
• South Africa
• youth
• entrepreneurship
• sustainable development goals