The Social Capital of a Higher Education Institution and the 2030 Agenda

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which encompasses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), calls for collective action for a more sustainable world, engaging governments and civil society. This research focused on how the Western Paraná State University (Unioeste) is engaging with this agenda. Through qualitative research with 14 management leaders of Unioeste and analysis of institutional documents, this study examined how the institution mobilizes social capital to implement the SDGs. The conclusions suggest that Unioeste has social capital, but not enough to fully implement the SDGs, so there is room for improvement. Thus, placing social capital at the center of this effort is a possible approach for such implementation. This research provides valuable information on the complex process of integrating the SDGs into universities and contributes to the theoretical understanding of SDG implementation in academic settings. Furthermore, this study has practical implications for helping decision-makers to manage sustainability issues.