Mirjam Braßler

Sustainability leadership is increasingly recognised as essential for addressing complex socio-ecological challenges, yet empirically grounded competency frameworks remain scarce, particularly those derived from interdisciplinary and intergenerational samples. Building on an extensive literature synthesis, this study developed an a priori framework comprising four dimensions: (1) Knowledge & Understanding, (2) Values, Motivation & Purpose, (3) Leadership Practices & Impact, and (4) Inner Development & Learning, operationalised into 20 core competency elements. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was conducted at Kiel University, combining quantitative importance ratings from 301 participants with qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses from 312 participants across all faculties and status groups. Quantitative findings supported all 20 elements, with systemic, value-oriented, and collaborative competencies rated particularly highly. Qualitative findings supported all deductive competency domains, with K2 and K5 merged into one integrated category, and added 12 inductive categories, foregrounding relational, visionary, critical-systemic, and inner-directed capacities. Trust and empathy emerged as implicit foundations across several dimensions. The resulting framework is organised across four competency dimensions and three relational levels: I (the leader within), Us (in relation to others), and World (in relation to society and systems). It offers a theoretically and empirically grounded foundation for sustainability leadership development in higher education, organisations, and professional training.

Sustainability leadership is increasingly recognised as essential for addressing complex socio-ecological challenges, yet empirically grounded and validated competency frameworks remain scarce, particularly those derived from interdisciplinary and intergenerational samples. Building on an extensive literature synthesis, this study developed an a priori framework comprising four dimensions: (1) Knowledge & Understanding, (2) Values, Motivation & Purpose, (3) Leadership Practices & Impact, and (4) Inner Development & Learning, operationalised into 20 core competency elements. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was conducted at Kiel University, combining quantitative importance ratings from 301 participants with qualitative content analysis of open-ended responses from 312 participants across all faculties and status groups. Quantitative findings confirmed all 20 elements, with systemic, value-oriented, and collaborative competencies rated particularly highly. Qualitative findings supported all deductive categories while adding 11 inductive categories, foregrounding relational, visionary, critical-systemic, and inner-directed capacities. Trust and empathy emerged as implicit foundations across several dimensions. The resulting framework is organised across four competency dimensions and three relational levels: I (the leader within), Us (in relation to others), and World (in relation to society and systems). It offers a theoretically grounded and empirically validated foundation for sustainability leadership development in higher education, organisations, and professional training.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and responsible management are inherently interdisciplinary fields. However, higher education often remains monodisciplinary, limiting students' ability to integrate multiple perspectives. This present study explores the implementation of Interdisciplinary Problem-based Learning (iPBL) as a pedagogical approach that brings together students from business, economics, and psychology to collaboratively address complex CSR challenges. Over the course of a semester, students engaged with five interdisciplinary problem cases, structured around an eight-step learning process, to develop integrative solutions to issues such as negotiation and conflict resolution, sustainable work environments, corruption, mental health, and institutional change. The evaluation results, based on the HEsaCom scale, indicate that iPBL enhances key competencies across disciplines. Students reported gains in knowledge processing, systematic competence, personal competence, cooperation competence, and communication competence—core competencies emphasized in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Responsible Management Education (RME). The present findings are consistent with extant research in the domains of constructivist learning, interdisciplinary education, and sustainability-oriented pedagogy, highlighting the role of psychological perspectives in strengthening critical thinking, ethical reflection, and collaborative problem-solving. Whilst the study confirms the short-term benefits of iPBL, further research is required to assess long-term competency retention and the scalability of this model across different institutional contexts. Practical implications include the integration of structured interdisciplinary formats into business school curricula as well as the development of faculty training to support cross-disciplinary teaching. By explicitly including psychological content and learners, this study contributes a novel perspective to the evolving landscape of RME.

This study reports on a Design-Based Research (DBR) project that implemented Project-Based Learning (PjBL) in an undergraduate psychology course on Human Resource Development (HRD). The purpose was to move beyond lecture-based instruction and explore how open pedagogy can create authentic, student-centered learning experiences that bridge theory and practice. Over two course iterations (n = 31), students co-designed, implemented, and evaluated HRD interventions for their peers, supported by peer and instructor feedback and complemented by a co-created open-book exam. Quantitative pre- and post-tests revealed significant improvements in students’ knowledge of HRD methods, learning theories, and application competencies, as well as enhanced confidence in their professional qualifications. Students valued the openness of the design, its practical orientation, and the error-friendly learning environment, though challenges emerged regarding workload, communication, and intrinsic motivation. Educators reported a transformation of their role from knowledge transmitter to facilitator and co-learner, while also identifying opportunities to use AI for generating authentic case tasks. The findings suggest that PjBL, combined with open pedagogy, fosters self-directed learning, transparency, and collaboration, thereby contributing to cultural change in higher education toward openness, participation, and innovation.

Open education, Open Educational Practices (OEPs), and Open Educational Resources (OERs) have emerged as significant opportunities for enhancing global sustainability information sharing. However, the creation and sharing of OERs, as well as the usage of OEPs in Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD), remain limited. This study explores the implementation of OEPs in HESD, aiming to empower students to co-produce OERs on sustainable development (SD). This study, drawing on the theoretical approach of the principle of constructive alignment, proposes the development of students’ digital competence in OER production. A two-group pretest–posttest analysis of 409 students (Psychology, Economics, Education, Geography) reveals a significant increase in digital competence over time among students who produced OERs on SD, compared to their peers enrolled in courses unrelated to OER content development. We delve into the practical implications of designing OEPs in HESD and strategize to support students in their OER production processes.

Open Education, Open Educational Practices (OEP), and Open Educational Resources (OER) have emerged as significant opportunities for enhancing global sustainability information sharing. However, the creation and sharing of OER, as well as the usage of OEP in Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD), remain limited. This study explores the implementation of OEP in HESD, aiming to empower students to co-produce OER on Sustainable Development (SD). This study, drawing on the theoretical approach of the principle of constructive alignment, proposes the development of students’ digital competence in OER production. A two-group pre-test post-test analysis of 409 students (Psychology, Economics, Education, Geography) reveals a significant increase in digital competence over time among students who produced OER on SD, compared to their peers enrolled in courses unrelated to OER content development. We delve into the practical implications for designing OEP in HESD and strategize to support students in their OER production processes.

Extant research into the efficacy of—especially interdisciplinary—higher education for sustainable development (HESD) is limited. A need exists to investigate students’ development of sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Furthermore, universities have experienced difficulties implementing interdisciplinary HESD because of organisational barriers due to monodisciplinary structures, as well as educators’ and students’ reservations. This study introduces an interdisciplinary approach to HESD and investigates its efficacy regarding students’ development of sustainability knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours at a university in Germany. The approach applies a series of lectures by different sustainability experts accompanied by several tutorials that support students’ interdisciplinary learning and teamwork towards an interdisciplinary sustainability product. Tutors were trained in interdisciplinary teaching methods, as well as interdisciplinary communication and conflict management, beforehand. Before participating in the interdisciplinary course, the students had a moderate level of sustainability knowledge and behaviour, and a high level of sustainability attitudes. The results from the pre–post-test analysis indicate an increase in students’ sustainability knowledge and behaviours, and no change in students’ sustainability attitudes. If typical barriers to interdisciplinarity are mitigated, interdisciplinary HESD can facilitate students’ development.

Innovative ideas are essential to sustainable development. Students’ innovative potential in higher education for sustainable development (HESD) has so far been neglected. Innovation is often associated with an interdisciplinary approach. However, the results of research on diversity and its role in innovation are inconsistent. The present study takes a longitudinal approach to investigating student teams in project-based learning courses in HESD in Germany. This study examines how innovation develops in interdisciplinary student teams in contrast to monodisciplinary student teams. The results of the latent change approach from a sample of 69 student teams indicate significant changes in students’ innovation over time. Monodisciplinary student teams outperform interdisciplinary student teams in idea promotion (convincing potential allies) at the beginning, whereas interdisciplinary student teams outperform monodisciplinary student teams in idea generation (production of novel and useful ideas) in the midterm. There is no difference in the long term. The results indicate that interdisciplinary student teams have an advantage in the generation of novel ideas but need time to leverage their access to different discipline-based knowledge. We discuss practical implications for the design of interdisciplinary learning with strategies to support students in the formation phase in project-based learning in HESD.