Developing education indicators for sustainable assessment tool of Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (HEIS)

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are rapidly expanding across nations and play a vital role in educating students, academics, and the broader community on sustainability. In Malaysia, several Green Building Rating Tools (GBRTs) have been introduced to support the national sustainability agenda. However, none of these tools are specifically tailored to assess sustainability within HEIs. Recognising the critical importance of sustainable development and the lack of dedicated assessment mechanisms for HEIs, this study aims to integrate educational indicators into a Sustainable Assessment Tool (SAT) for evaluating the sustainability performance of HEIs. To achieve this aim, a mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a systematic literature review (SLR) with a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. Initially, 49 existing GBRTs were identified and analysed, with GBI Township, GreenRE Township, and LCCF emerging as the most relevant for assessing sustainable HEIs. Despite their relevance, these tools were found to lack educationspecific criteria, rendering them insufficient for accurately measuring sustainability in the context of HEIs. From the SLR, 30 educational indicators were extracted and proposed for inclusion in the SAT. These indicators were further examined through questionnaire surveys conducted across nine public HEIs in Malaysia. The survey data were analysed using descriptive analysis aided by SPSS software, which identified the five most significant indicators: (1) funding for programme development, (2) funding for research and innovation, (3) funding for training, (4) sustainable courses, and (5) sustainable research.