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Why this exchange?

Many technical universities face the same challenges when it comes to making their campuses more sustainable. That’s precisely why it’s so valuable to learn from each other, to see how others address these issues, where the bottlenecks are, and which solutions have proven effective. Meeting in person adds significant value, not only by seeing sustainable projects firsthand but also because the informal conversations between program sessions often turn out to be just as valuable.

The program

The two-day program was varied, interactive, and engaging. The program included a campus tour at ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø and participants took part in workshops on topics including COâ‚‚ accounting, sustainable procurement, sustainability monitoring, greening laboratories and student engagement, and visited innovative projects such as the GENIUS Project. The group also visited the recently renovated Student Sports Centre (SSC). The SSC is a great example of social sustainability, where the wellbeing of students and staff is the main focus.

A highlight of the program was the keynote by ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø Sustainability Ambassador Prof. Anna Wieczorek, who presented how ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø approaches sustainability in practice.

Sustainability highlights of the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø campus

During the campus tour, several of ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø’s sustainable projects were showcased. Among them was the Atlas building: originally constructed in 1963, it has been fully renovated into one of the most sustainable university buildings in the world, holding a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ certificate and achieving a COâ‚‚ reduction of approximately 80%.

The campus is also largely connected to a thermal energy storage system, one of the largest in Europe. As a result, several campus buildings are now gas-free and make smart use of sustainable energy storage.

Rethinking sustainability and making impact

One of the most appreciated moments of the exchange was the keynote by Prof. Anna Wieczorek, ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø’s Sustainability Ambassador. In her presentation, she advocated for socio-technical solutions, emphasizing that sustainability requires not only technological innovation but also adjustments within societal systems. She illustrated this with the example of electric cars: while the technology is available, the current power grid is not yet equipped to handle mass adoption.

Her talk provided a fresh, thought-provoking perspective and demonstrated that real, lasting impact is only possible when technology and systems evolve together. The presentation was very well received, with many participants calling it the highlight of the exchange.

Key takeaways

Although all participating universities work on similar themes, such as CO₂ reduction, circular construction, and student engagement, each institution takes a different approach. These differences are often the result of national regulations, organizational structures, or cultural factors. This diversity offers valuable insights and ideas for refining and strengthening each university’s own sustainability strategy.

Participants exchanged ideas on how to successfully implement systemic change. Sometimes this requires clear, top-down policy decisions, while in other cases a bottom-up approach proves far more effective. It was concluded that this is exactly why ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø’s Go Green Office student team plays such an important role: they succeed in raising awareness among students, and in some cases can even drive change faster than university staff.

Why this matters

This kind of international collaboration not only offers insights into a range of approaches but also allows successful practices to be shared and adopted more quickly. By actively exchanging ideas and experiences, more effective collaborations are built. Together, we are stronger for a sustainable future!