Culture of university sustainability and its dimensions

Purpose We aimed to investigate what dimensions constitute the culture of sustainability of a modern university, recognize and discuss research on the culture of sustainability of universities (CoSoU) and identify the basic dimensions that contribute to this culture. Design/methodology/approach We used a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA method (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses), followed by synthesis, conceptual work and logical reasoning. Findings We observed the most significant increase in articles on the topic under study since 2015, with researchers from the United States dominating, thus confirming the research gap concerning European countries. Our research indicates the dominance of four CoSoU dimensions, i.e. leadership, engagement, communication and relations with stakeholders. We also proposed the model structure of the CoSoU dimensions and its definition. Research limitations/implications The research covered open-access texts. We limited it to the English language and full-text studies and excluded monographs or doctoral dissertations. This certainly did not allow us to investigate the problem holistically. Readers may consider the article an original implication to science, allowing it to fit into the existing research gap. We propose a set of important dimensions that constitute the university’s culture of sustainable development. We place equal importance on the definitions of the analyzed dimensions of sustainability culture and the CoSoU definition. Practical implications Leaders at universities, e.g. rectors and deans, can consider the identified dimensions and progressively provide them as conditions conducive to achieving sustainable development goals. The indicated CoSoU dimensions can be the subject of training for employees and university authorities. Social implications The issue of organizational culture as such focuses primarily on shaping social behavior, in this case, the academic community. Originality/value The novelty of the article lies in addressing the topic of the culture of sustainability concerning universities and filling the research gap. A set of CoSoU dimensions, a definition of CoSoU and a model construct of CoSoU also constitute original proposals.