Higher Education for Sustainable Construction: A Global Overview of Nine Burundian Universities ‘Commitment

Abstract Civil engineering is moving to meet the needs of present and future generations through education, which is one of the ways to convey this dynamism. Thus, there is a vast literature on the contribution of higher education to the promotion of sustainable construction through the curricula provided by higher education institutions. However, there is an absence of studies that focus on the commitment of higher education institutions through their faculties’ objectives, which in turn drive the training curricula. This study, therefore, seeks to assess the commitment of nine Burundian universities involved in the training of construction engineers and architects, who are the main stakeholders in the construction industry in Burundi. Through qualitative and quantitative approaches, this study shows that Burundian universities involved in the training of construction engineers and architects are not well engaged in the promotion of sustainable construction. A reorientation of their faculties of civil engineering and architecture by redefining the objectives pursued both globally and specifically is desirable. This will generate a contribution of their part to sustainable development through the promotion of constructions inspired by the needs of the present generations without harming the needs of the future ones. The scarcity of studies and publications in this field in the Burundian context has limited this research.