Excellence Under Question: A Critical Review from the Perspective of Educational Ethics and University Sustainability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5944/reec.49.2026.45810Keywords:
higher education, institutional values, university ethics,, excellence,, social sustainability,, human rights.Abstract
This article critically analyzes the axiological validity of “excellence” as an institutional value in higher education. It addresses the guiding question: is “excellence” an ethically sustainable value or a performative construct aligned with competitive logic? Using a theoretical-documentary approach grounded in educational ethics, moral philosophy, and international human rights frameworks, the article explores its conceptual, pedagogical, and normative limitations. The findings reveal that excellence, rather than being a robust formative value, functions as a rhetorical signifier lacking normative universality and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals. Through comparative cases (Ecuador, Finland, and Spain), it argues that the uncritical institutionalization of excellence reinforces meritocratic and exclusionary dynamics. The article concludes by proposing its redefinition or replacement with ethically grounded values such as justice, solidarity, and responsibility, offering recommendations for transforming university axiological frameworks towards social sustainability and democratic commitment.
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