This book analyses the role of the university in working towards the
Sustainable Development Goals. In contrast to the previous Millennium
Development Goals, higher education is seen to have a crucial role in
this new agenda. Yet how can the university fulfil these weighty
expectations, and are the dominant trends in higher education supporting
or undermining this vision? This book draws on the idea of the
'developmental university', a model characterised by its porous
boundaries with society and commitment to teaching, research and
community engagement in the public interest. The author examines case
studies from Latin America, Africa and other regions to analyse how this
model can be revived, countering recent trends of marketisation, status
competition and unbundling. The book also considers alternatives to the
developmental model drawing on indigenous knowledge systems, looking
beyond the SDG framework to the creation of a new form of society. This
timely volume will be of interest and value to those working in the
field of sustainable development, and to students and scholars of
comparative education, international development and higher education
studies.