ABSTRACT
The increasing recognition of the role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in advancing sustainability and promoting cross-sector collaborations promoted to the shift in HEIs as ‘knowledge producers’ to ‘knowledge brokers’. Community engagement and partnerships of HEIs with governments and other societal sectors in addressing urban challenges are promoted through institutional support, more integrative research and engagement frameworks, and stakeholder demands for increased social responsibility. Nevertheless, it is critical to unpack how these knowledge partnerships are formed resulting benefits, challenges, and configurations to inform planning and implementing HEI’s initiatives for more engaged scholarship and co-production in addressing urban sustainability challenges. As one of the dynamic and fast-growing regions of the world, a focus on the Pacific Rim experience and how this engagement has helped navigate complex and challenging urban issues will provide a rich insight on the changing roles of HEIs. This chapter will draw on the experiences of selected Pacific Rim HEIs in planning and engagement for urban sustainability.
