Formation of a Sustainable Development Architecture at a National University: Analysis of Documents and Practices of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University

Abstract

The article examines L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University as a case of building a comprehensive sustainable development policy in a national higher‑education institution under conditions of economic modernization, energy transition and university reforms in Kazakhstan. The empirical basis consists of the university’s internal documents: a climate policy for managing greenhouse‑gas emissions across the three scopes of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a sustainable procurement policy aligned with national legislation and ISO 20400 and ISO 14001, an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policy, a sustainability report and an action plan for its implementation. The analysis shows that these documents are explicitly linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the ESG framework and international reporting and management standards, which together form a multi‑level sustainability architecture encompassing environmental, social and governance dimensions. The climate block is the most advanced in terms of quantification and institutionalization, with Scope 1-3 inventories, a long‑term net‑zero ambition and measurable targets on emissions, energy use, water, waste and paper consumption that bring the university closer to international campus‑management practice. At the same time, sustainable procurement and EDI remain more principle‑based fields where indicators, monitoring procedures and disclosure still require further development. The article concludes that the ENU case illustrates a transition from fragmented initiatives toward an integrated “sustainable university” model that connects campus operations, educational programs and research, while underlining the need to consolidate dispersed indicators into a single strategic framework and to deepen non‑financial reporting in line with global sustainability rankings so as to strengthen the university’s role as a national and regional ESG leader.