Global Journal of Education, Finance and Management (GJEFM) · Research article · Open access

Leading Systemic Change for Sustainable Higher Education Futures

Michael Oyedele Oyenuga, Olayemi Theresa Oyenuga

3 November 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 11, pp. 396-407

DOI: 10.65150/EP-gjefm/V2E11/2026-01 (registration with Crossref in progress)

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Abstract

Change is the only constant in life, so every organisation is interested in change. This article provides a coherent, theory-informed, integrated framework for leading the systemic change of higher education (HE) towards sustainable futures. Based on the Transformative Change Theory, Institutional Theory, and Systems Thinking, it synthesises how HE systems operate as adaptive complex networks and how resilient reform emerges from multi-level cross-actor processes. To offer practical insights for leaders and policymakers, this discussion navigates five intertwined dimensions: curriculum transformation (ESD and interdisciplinary learning), governance and leadership models, research/knowledge production for sustainability, campus operations/net-zero transitions, and community engagement with societal impact. The article  details its three central propositions: HE is a learning system; the fundamental need for boundary-spanning governance/ distributed leadership to create intentional co-alignment between policy, practice and resource deployment, and between SUD goals; legitimacy/funding structure ecosystems co-evolve with reform, as drivers of systemic inertia and key enablers in re-orienting institutional purpose and ongoing iterative learning; and stakeholder co-production, co-design and cross-sector collaborations are necessary to transition scale-ready innovations emerging from pilot projects into systemic transformation outcomes. The analysis avoids prescriptive recommendations yet recognises tensions between central coherence and local autonomy, the long-term investment required, and the necessity for equity and inclusion. The article ends with some specific implications for policy, governance and practice, along with an evaluative framework to help track whether the change achieved through such mechanisms can be construed as durable over time.

Keywords: Higher education, Resource constraint, Sustainable, Systemic change, Universities.

Michael Oyedele Oyenuga, & Olayemi Theresa Oyenuga (2026). Leading Systemic Change for Sustainable Higher Education Futures. Global Journal of Education, Finance and Management, 2(11), 396-407. https://www.ep-journals.org/articles/leading-systemic-change-for-sustainable-higher-education-futures-73caa44c

@article{Michael2026,
  title   = {Leading Systemic Change for Sustainable Higher Education Futures},
  author  = {Michael Oyedele Oyenuga and Olayemi Theresa Oyenuga},
  journal = {Global Journal of Education, Finance and Management},
  year    = {2026},
  volume  = {2},
  number  = {11},
  pages   = {396-407},
  url     = {https://www.ep-journals.org/articles/leading-systemic-change-for-sustainable-higher-education-futures-73caa44c}
}

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