Sustainable development: research in an intercultural context

Abstract

Although there are several well-argued definitions of sustainable development, it is necessary to clarify this concept for the particular context of an intercultural university. Generally, sustainability is a goal that can never be fully achieved; it is only an ideal. Sustainable development is all concrete human attempts to approach this goal. There is a direct link between human needs and sustainable development. Therefore, the popular concept of perceiving sustainable development as an objectively valid impetus for the whole world is an illusion. It is based on the mistaken idea that humanity has general needs in common, which is only correct for the simplest needs. Apart from these basic needs, a great breadth of diverse needs is demonstrated, especially in the socio-economic and socio-cultural spheres. The larger the community that evaluates sustainable development, the more difficult it will be to try to define common interests, but the more representative this evaluation will be. In other words, sustainable development is something subjective, always depending on who defines their needs. This complicates its evaluation, but it is positive because it forces researchers to take sides regarding who should really be the subjects that determine these needs. In the case of intercultural universities, the selection of the determinants of sustainable development requires a deep knowledge of the communities in question, which, although they do not usually show great socio-economic diversity from a Western economic point of view, do have a wide spectrum of nuances among their members – especially in political and socio-cultural aspects. A good link between researchers and the population of these communities is necessary, which is only possible in an environment of trust as a result of a broad process of interaction. The way to carry out research projects in this context can only be through participatory research. The academic involved in this process has every right to be demanding in the selection of the appropriate community, but on the condition that in the research process he has to withdraw his own interests and become a tool of the interests of the selected people and community.