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AbstractThis paper explains the linguistic complexity of East Timor. Portuguese and Tetum (the national language) are the official languages. To develop education, other languages such as English and Indonesian are necessary. A law on education has to back the Constitution drafted in 2001 to develop education an important tool of development.

Purpose
It is still unclear how Asian universities incorporate the theory or practice of sustainable development (SD) in their research and education programmes. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to report on a study that has examined how universities in Asian countries handle and address matters related to SD.


Design/methodology/approach
The study used a bibliometric analysis and an online survey-method. The online survey data were analysed through descriptive analysis and one-sample student's t-test.


Findings
The study indicates that there is considerable variation among the Asian countries regarding sustainability practices in higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEIs in far eastern countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are perceived to demonstrate more sustainability practices.


Research limitations/implications
Even though a substantial number of participants participated in the survey, it did not cover all Asian countries. The online survey was carried out over a limited period of time, and not all HEIs in the field may have received information about the study.


Practical implications
Asia is the largest continent facing a number of sustainability challenges. In this context, the contribution of HEIs is very important. The findings of the current study may serve as a baseline for Asian HEIs to take more initiatives towards SD goals, as HEIs are responsible for the education and training of hundreds of thousands of students who will be occupying key positions in industry, government or education in the coming years.


Originality/value
The study contributes to the existing literature in two distinct ways. First, it was possible to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure sustainability practices in HEIs. Second, this study has filled the gap of the scarcity of studies regarding sustainability practices in HEIs in Asia.

Cultural competence in healthcare has been defined in many ways; however, it generally refers to knowledge of social and cultural factors that influence illness and related behaviour, and actions taken to provide the best of quality care considering each patient's background [...]