Turning visions into versions: sustainability and the translation of policy in higher education

How is sustainable development translated in higher education institutions (HEIs)? This study examines how sustainable development has been translated within the ‘policy world’ of HEIs, focusing on one research-intensive university in Sweden. Sustainable development, widely introduced into legislation in 2003, required HEIs to develop policies addressing sustainability. At one faculty at the research-intensive university here studied, a qualitative investigation probed the ways academic staff integrated sustainable development into curricula and teaching practices. Using translation theory, we show that, despite the autonomy granted to departments and teachers, translations of sustainable development largely conformed to the Higher Education Act’s conventional definition, articulating a political direction to the translation process. At the same time, translations were shaped by situated practices as teachers sought to highlight existing course content related to sustainability. Rather than fostering critical reflection or substantive curricular transformation, these translations tended to reproduce existing processes, sustaining a ‘business‑as‑usual’ approach while allowing multiple versions of the policy to unfold. We conclude by discussing how aspirational visions of sustainable development turned into pragmatic versions and consider the implications of this transformation for both policy formation and the advancement of sustainability in higher education.