Connotations and Methods of Sustainable Development in Higher Education

Abstract

In the past, higher education emphasized examinations, focusing on memorization and rote learning, with teaching methods primarily being lecture-based; currently, higher education focuses on the integration of learning and application, where what learners acquire is applied to local economic and social development, and the integration of industry and education is crucial for the sustainable development of higher education, representing a mindset of sustainable development. This paper explains the connotation of sustainable development in higher education and methods to achieve sustainable development, promoting higher education to be more aligned with the environment, society, and local development. This study employs the extended case study method and comparative method to collect student data, which helps integrate and expand existing theories and apply them in actual teaching processes. The study finds that after adopting new practical teaching methods, higher education students can better apply the theories they have learned to analyze enterprise practices, meeting the needs of local industrial development. Compared to the one-way traditional teaching method, the introduction of two-way approaches such as problem-based learning, action learning, and teaching scenarios more effectively facilitates the integration of learning and application, the integration of industry and education, and the alignment with local economic and social development, thereby more systematically promoting the sustainable and enduring development of higher education and providing new perspectives for subsequent research to extend connections to different colleges and local industries.