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This paper aims to assess the state of the art of quality of education, research and governance to incorporate sustainable development goal 4 (SDG 4) in Nepalese higher education institutions (HEIs). In particular, it raises questions to initiate a discourse on HEIs to achieve SDG 4.

The idea of undertaking this research is heavily borrowed from scientific literature and policy documents. It is an exploratory study that assesses the current status of quality of education, research and governance and suggests policy measures to inculcate SDGs culture in Nepalese HEIs. This study follows a qualitative approach. The analysis is based on the opinions of 113 HEIs stakeholders and high-ranked university officials. Discussions among stakeholders have been organized using online facilities such as Zoom and Team.

Nepalese universities had not incorporated SDGs in their policy, planning, budget and curriculum. The research finds that even after the government’s commitment to SDGs, HEIs are not honestly involved in academic discourse on these goals. From the conversation with university officials, it appears that Universities have understood it as a government policy for development, rather than incorporating it as their sectoral responsibility to ensure the quality of education for future generations.

This paper prescribes policies to inculcate SDGs culture practically throughout the university structure and operations and opens the floor to discourse on the sectoral role to reach SDG 4. Second, this research suggests activities and policies integrated toward the common good agenda.

The paper is the first of its type in the context of a least developed country, Nepal, to raise the issue of HEIs for SDGs. This paper also represents the situation of HEIs for SDGs of similar countries.

This study aims to investigate the contribution of higher education institutions (HEIs) to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and propose strategies to cultivate a culture centred on the SDGs in HEIs.

The methodology used encompassed an integrative literature review, combining bibliographic analysis on how HEIs incorporate the SDGs into their practices, adopting a qualitative approach for the analysis and categorization of the results.

The multifaceted contributions of HEIs in promoting the SDGs stand out, through their roles in teaching, research, management and integration and communication between university and society.

While influencing policies at various levels, HEIs encounter challenges in the effective integration of SDGs into their strategies. This underscores the need for contextualized governance, understanding students’ perspectives on sustainability and active external collaboration in policy formulation.

There is an urgent need to integrate SDGs into academic programmes, emphasizing the importance of redesigning curricula, actively involving teachers, researchers and students, establishing partnerships and promoting research applied to SDGs.

The social relevance of the study lies in the emphasis on an SDG-centred culture, involving teaching, research, outreach, community engagement and governance practices.

The study’s uniqueness lies in identifying persistent challenges during the transition to an SDG-centred culture, necessitating multisectoral collaboration and educational programmes that integrate sustainability principles into the strategy of HEIs.