Green Universities as Catalysts for Sustainable Development: A Quantitative Study of Their Impact and Benefits in Thailand

Abstract

This study examines the impact and benefits of green university practices on sustainability performance, academic excellence, and global recognition within the context of higher education institutions in Bangkok, Thailand. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework, the research adopts a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 1,120 respondents, including administrators, faculty, and students across public, autonomous, and private universities. The conceptual model encompasses key constructs, including green infrastructure, university governance and policy, sustainable curriculum, stakeholder engagement, sustainability impact, academic excellence, global recognition, and contribution to the SDGs. The findings reveal that institutional practices, specifically governance, infrastructure, and curriculum, have a significant direct and indirect impact on sustainability outcomes and academic performance. Moreover, academic excellence serves as a critical mediator linking internal strategies to international recognition. Stakeholder engagement also emerged as a strong predictor of global SDG alignment. The measurement and structural models demonstrated good reliability, validity, and predictive relevance, confirming the robustness of the proposed framework.

This study contributes to the understanding of how integrated sustainability practices can elevate institutional performance in both academic and global sustainability dimensions. The proposed model provides a strategic tool for higher education institutions seeking to enhance their role in achieving SDG targets. Future research is encouraged to expand the model across regional and international contexts, assess longitudinal changes, and investigate the behavioral factors that influence the adoption of sustainability. The results position green universities as transformative agents in shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and academically excellent future.