From Awareness to Willingness: Drivers of SDG Knowledge and Engagement among Business Students in Vietnam

This study examines the factors influencing Vietnamese business students’ perspectives on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on their self-assessed knowledge, perceived importance, interest, and willingness to participate in SDG-related learning activities. Using survey data from 354 business students at Vietnamese public universities and applying ordered logit regression models, the analysis shows that business students’ perspectives and engagement with the SDGs are driven by the combined influence of demographic characteristics, family background, and the university learning environment. In particular, information exposure through university channels (such as SDG-related courses, lecturer-delivered SDG contents, and institutional communications) emerges as a key driver of students’ perceived knowledge, interest, and willingness to participate in SDG-related learning. Family context further reinforces these effects, as students with family members involved in SDG-related activities or who frequently discuss SDG issues at home exhibit greater confidence and motivation. In terms of demographic and study characteristics, female students, senior students, those enrolled in international programs, and socially active students demonstrate stronger awareness of and willingness to engage with SDG topics. Overall, our findings emphasize the multidimensional nature of SDG engagement and highlight the central role of universities in fostering sustained learning through integrated curricular, informational, and social initiatives.