SUSTAINABLE CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT IN ISLAMIC HIGHER EDUCATION: THE S-CURVE FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL HARMONY, AND GLOBAL TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

Sustainable curriculum management has become a strategic concern for Islamic higher education as ecological crises, technological disruption, social inequality, and religious polarization increasingly shape the future of learning. This study aims to formulate an interdisciplinary framework for managing sustainable curricula in Islamic higher education. It addresses three questions: how sustainable curriculum management is conceptualized in recent scholarship; which managerial dimensions are necessary for effective implementation; and how Islamic ethics, sustainable development, social harmony, and global-digital competence can be integrated into one operational model. The study uses a qualitative conceptual design and an integrative review of fifteen peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2021 and July 2026. The literature was selected according to relevance to curriculum management, education for sustainable development, Islamic education, religious moderation, transformative pedagogy, and artificial intelligence in higher education. The analysis employed thematic comparison and conceptual synthesis. The results identify four recurring problems: fragmented sustainability content, weak translation of Islamic values into institutional practice, limited stakeholder participation, and inadequate assessment of sustainability competencies. In response, the study proposes the S-CURVE framework, comprising Spiritual-ethical foundations, Collaborative governance, Unified interdisciplinary curriculum design, Responsive transformative pedagogy, Verification and continuous quality improvement, and Engagement with society, ecosystems, and global networks. The study concludes that sustainable curriculum management requires whole-institution transformation rather than the addition of isolated environmental topics. The framework offers a management-oriented contribution for developing graduates who are ethically grounded, socially inclusive, ecologically responsible, digitally literate, and globally competent.