Integrating Social Innovation Education into Higher Education Curricula to Address the Agenda for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development is described as a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity that seeks to strengthen universal peace. While Goal 4 of the SDG Agenda focuses on equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all, education is the panacea that will ensure the realisation of the seventeen universal goals that would transform developing and developed countries alike. Therefore, educational institutions have a fundamental role to play in the realisation of these goals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent HEIs are integrating social innovation education into higher education curricula to address the agenda for the 2030 sustainable development goals. A qualitative case study research design was adopted for this study. The target population for this study consisted of students from different faculties. Purposive sampling was used. Data was collected using focus group interviews and analysed using content analysis. Key findings reveal that HEI students believe that social innovation education integrated into the curriculum will provoke impactful discussions about the current environment, and existential and socio-economic crisis. Graduates must be competent in social innovation and global citizenship to prepare for the world of work and life. To effectively harness and accelerate these capabilities, higher education institutions (HEIs) must reimagine their teaching methods and curricula to meet the demands of future generations. The creation of new a model for higher education, social innovation education, will promote the development of more critical and socially impactful graduate attributes.