Redesigning higher education in the spirit of donut economics

How can higher education reimagine itself in response to the climate crisis?

I’ve been exploring this question for years, and was very happy to encounter a new paper offering an intriguing call for academic design. It’s about donut economics.

To explain too briefly: professor Kate Raworth introduced the donut economics concept in a paper, a book, and a lot of public appearances. She wants us to rethink economics in terms of two boundaries, the environmental limits which ultimately constrain human life on Earth and the humanitarian needs of people. Between those two fields Raworth identifies a sweet spot, the titular donut, wherein our economy should operate:

I’ve been thinking about the implications of donut economics for higher education since I first heard of the idea. What might happen if the society around a college or university switched from neoliberalism (or whichever other system is in play) to the donut model? How would that impact campus sustainability in every sense? Would it change academic research and teaching? What happens to community relations? (If you’re interested, check chapter 6 of Universities on Fire).

Yet what if we consider applying the donut to higher ed in another way?