ABSTRACT
The focus of this book is not higher education. It is higher education-in-context, that is, the nature of the relationship between higher education and the wider world. Taking a whole systems view, we argue that this relationship needs to change for the benefit of both; that there needs to be much better congruence between these two realities – on one hand higher education systems, on the other the socio-economic and ecological supra-systems in which HE is embedded. At stake is the health, or viability, of both higher education and the global context. A viable system is one which is ‘able to survive, be healthy, and develop in its particular environment’ (Bossel, 1998: 75), and therefore is able to anticipate and adapt to significant change. Seen from a systems perspective, a higher education system oriented towards sustainability would benefit both HEIs and society, by increasing health, security and well-being at organisational and individual levels right across the piece.
