The continuity of activities and projects is important for sustainably developing organizations, especially universities. The purpose of this study is to establish university development guidelines regarding waste management according to the green university ranking criteria for sustainable development by studying and collecting the data for Mahasarakham University covering the last five years (2019–2023). We also analyzed and synthesized lessons learned from the details of the operations and the factors involved in the university’s successes while comparing and providing suggestions for its operations in the coming year. This study found that effective waste management led to continuous improvements that achieved the goals of Mahasarakham University. These consisted of five guidelines, as follows: (1) making green university policies and using them as a KPI (key performance index) of the administrative divisions and also announcing the university’s waste management policies by applying the principles of 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle); (2) allocating budgets supporting the projects’ activities according to the evaluation criteria; (3) driving operations through student and personnel participation as well as the mechanisms used by the committees from various administrative divisions, such as the Student Council, the Student Association and clubs; (4) identifying the main responsible individuals and committees for the green university who communicate and drive the operations while collecting, analyzing and preparing the data; and (5) performing follow-ups and evaluations of the project’s activities with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) processes, facilitating continuous and sustainable developments and improvements leading to a green university. With the above operations, Mahasarakham University’s waste management scores for the six indices during the period 2019–2023 increased annually as follows: 900, 900, 1050, 1275 and 1350.

This research aims to review the educational and research operations of Mahasarakham University and propose development directions for the university to meet the sustainable development criteria for ranking as a green university. This involves gathering data and analyzing the results of operations over the past 3 years, then using this analysis to synthesize the lessons learned and develop guidelines for sustainable development in the coming years. The study utilizes a robust methodology involving policy analysis, strategic planning, performance evaluation, and data integration. The study found that the university’s policies and strategies implemented following the annual performance evaluation criteria align with the green university assessment criteria for education and research. This has resulted in minor improvements in the curriculum for sustainability. However, community service projects for sustainability have increased by 89.10%, while funding for sustainable research and academic publications related to sustainability has decreased. In summary, the projects under the university’s development strategy adequately support and drive suitable development activities. Nevertheless, the university must continuously review its operations to adapt to changing contexts, budget constraints, evolving competition, and long-term development towards the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) to develop in the future.

This research aims to review the educational and research operations of Mahasarakham University and propose development directions for the university to meet sustainable development criteria for ranking as a green university. This involves gathering data and analyzing the results of operations over the past 3 years, then using this analysis to synthesize lessons learned and develop guidelines for sustainable development in the coming years. The study found that the university's policies and strategies implemented following the annual performance evaluation criteria align with the green university assessment criteria for education and research. This has resulted in minor improvements in curriculum for sustainability. However, community service projects for sustainability have increased by 89.10%, while funding for sustainable research and academic publications related to sustainability has decreased. In summary, the projects under the university's development strategy adequately support and drive suitable development activities. Nevertheless, the university must continuously review its operations to adapt to changing contexts, budget constraints, and evolving competition and develop each year sustainably.

Universities play a pivotal role in advancing global sustainability through education, impactful research, and environmentally responsible operations. This study evaluates the sustainability initiatives of Mahasarakham University (MSU) in alignment with the UI Green Metric World University Rankings criteria, with a particular focus on its performance in 2024. Since joining the rankings in 2011 with an initial total score of 4,781 points, MSU has steadily improved, achieving a total score of 8,475 points in 2024. The analysis examines three primary dimensions: the integration of sustainability into academic curricula, where sustainable courses increased to 55 programs out of 95 total offerings; the enhancement of sustainability-focused research, reflected in a 77% increase in related publications over the past three years; and the implementation of community engagement projects, which rose significantly from 44 projects in 2021 to 71 in 2023. The findings demonstrate MSU's consistent progress, with notable achievements in aligning its strategic plans with sustainability goals. However, challenges remain in optimizing resource allocation and expanding international collaborations. By synthesizing lessons learned and analyzing trends, this study identifies best practices and offers strategic recommendations for MSU and other institutions aspiring to excel in global sustainability benchmarks. The results underscore universities' essential role as catalysts for sustainable development, providing actionable insights into enhancing operational efficiency and academic contributions.

Continuity of activities and projects are important for sustainably developing organizations, especially universities. The purpose of this research study is to find university development guidelines regarding waste management according to the green university ranking criteria for sustainable developments by studying and collecting the data covering the last five years (2019 - 2023) of Mahasarakham University. We also analyzed and synthesized lessons learned from the details of the operations and the factors involved in successes while comparing and providing suggestions for the operations in the next year. It was found that waste management that resulted in continuous developments that achieved the goals of Mahasarakham University consisted of the five guidelines. (1) Making green university policies and using them as the (key performance index) KPI of the divisions and also announcing the university's waste management policies by applying the principles of 3R (Reuse-Reduce-Recycle). (2) Allocating the budgets supporting the projects' activities according to the evaluation criteria. (3) Student and personnel participation as well as the mechanisms used by the committees from various administrative divisions such as Student Council, Student Association and clubs to drive the operations. (4) Identifying the main responsible individuals and committees for the green university who communicated and drove the operations while collecting, analyzing and preparing the data. (5) Follow-ups and evaluations of the project's activities with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) processes for continuous and sustainable developments and improvements leading to the green university. With the above operations, Mahasarakham University's waste management scores of the six indices during 2019 - 3023 increased annually as follows: 900, 900, 1050, 1275 and 1350.