First Annual Congress Alliance for Sustainable Universitie
Climate change, loss of biodiversity, resource scarcity - in this context, universities have an essential societal role and responsibility. At the First Annual Congress of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities (BNH), participants had the opportunity over two days to exchange views on sustainability in universities and gain insights into the working groups of the alliance. Around 60 interested parties gathered at the University of Applied Sciences (FH) Kufstein Tirol campus to learn more about BNH's areas of impact from the impulse lectures, followed by a discussion round. The public lectures on Thursday afternoon on the topics of Green Events in Tirol and the transdisciplinary dialogue between science and art were also well received and drew 90 attendees.
Annual congress 2023
The activities of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities focus on the four areas of impact: Teaching, research, university management, and cooperation. Asc. Prof (FH) Dr.-Ing. Robert Fröhler, M.Eng. teaches and researches in the field of energy and building technology in the degree programs Facility & Real Estate Management as well as Energy & Sustainability Management at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol and provided insights into the path of the university's sustainable building management in his lecture. In the field of research, Mag. (FH) Michaela Fehringer, librarian at FH Upper Austria Campus Linz, reported on the representation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in research information systems and how FH Upper Austria implements this with the PURE tool. As the third focus, FH-Prof. MMag Dr. Harald A. Friedl, lecturer at FH Joanneum at the Institute for Health and Tourism Management, spoke about central challenges in integrating SDG topics into teaching. The public keynote by siblings Elisabeth Kopf (lecturer for Sustainability Experiments at the University of Applied Arts Vienna) and Mag. Timo Kopf (freelance zoologist, environmental expert, and lecturer at the University of Innsbruck), titled "Ask Nature," dealt with the possibilities of alliance between science and art and aroused great interest.
"The first annual congress was a complete success for us," says FH-Prof. Mag. Dr. Elisabeth Steiner, FH Campus Vienna, and chairwoman of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities. The numerous participants and the multifaceted consideration of sustainability reflect the subject's importance and complexity. "The event not only served to get to know each other and present the first joint projects but also aimed to draw the public's attention to the activities of the universities in the field of sustainability - we succeeded in doing that. We continue to deal with the highly relevant topics of our time and assume our societal responsibility as an educational institution - that's why we are already inviting all stakeholders to the second annual congress of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities from May 14 to 15, 2024, at the FH Burgenland."
About the Alliance for Sustainable Universities
The 13 members of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities (FH St. Pölten, FH Campus 02, FH Upper Austria, FH Kufstein Tirol, MCI Innsbruck, IMC FH Krems, FH Burgenland, FH Joanneum, FH Technikum Vienna, FH Campus Vienna, FH Vorarlberg, FH of the BFI Vienna, FH Carinthia) set themselves the goal with their merger in October 2021 to actively contribute to achieving the UN sustainability goals and thus to assume their societal responsibility as educational institutions. Central to this work are exchanging experience and expertise, establishing synergies, networks, and long-term partnerships, and transferring knowledge between all stakeholders.
Link:
- Alliance for Sustainable Universities (in German)