The Role of Universities in Building Strong Institutions as a Sustainable Development Goal

The aim of the research is to assess the impact of implementing sustainable development programmes in universities on their effectiveness in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). The research employed the following methods: SWOT analysis, case study, and impact assessment. The standard methods of descriptive statistics were used. Triangulation and internal consistency models were used to check the validity and reliability of research methods. Universities from Group 1 are significantly inferior to universities from Group 2 for all indicators. They have a smaller share of educational sustainable development programmes — 17.5% vs. 52.5%. The level of energy consumption per unit area is higher — 165 kWh/m² vs. 85 kWh/m², and the waste recycling rate is lower — 27.5% vs. 82.5%. Students’ average environmental awareness score is also lower — 3.35 vs. 4.5, with significantly fewer student eco-initiatives — 4 vs. 16.67. Universities are critical to sustainable development, influencing through the integration of strategy, investment, and student engagement. Different universities have their own advantages and challenges, which require adapting strategies to the specific conditions of each of them. Further research may focus on partnerships between universities and businesses and on implementing innovative approaches in project-based learning to achieve the SDGs in Ukraine.