Sustainability at participating universities

Sustainability is a key issue at universities worldwide. Universities are seen as having a responsibility to promote sustainability and sustainable development through education and wider activities. This is especially key to the future generation who will next enter a society with immense challenges. Universities are also being increasingly ranked by their commitment to sustainability and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Universities can strongly support the realisation of the SDGs through education, innovation and technology. The BUP is placing a focus on sustainability and the associated goals as through investigating practices at our universities, we can contribute to facing the complex challenges that lie ahead. Sustainability challenges are often embedded in different systems with different contexts, scales and locations. In this way, the BUP is uniquely positioned to consider sustainability. The BUP promotes inter, trans and multi- disciplinary cooperation with a focus on sustainability at our member universities. Therefore, the BUP hopes to harness these skills and abilities in investigating and probing how sustainability is being dealt with at BUP universities and how this can be improved.

Survey regarding sustainability at participating universities

This project began by the BUP Coordinating Secretariat in surveys during 2021 asked the question "How can we implement sustainability at universities in respect of teaching, research and campus greening?". Answers were gathered in one survey directed at the leadership at participating universities and one targeting BUP students.

Staff survey report (pdf). Pdf, 130 kB.

Student survey report (pdf). Pdf, 176 kB.

Webinar series

The question was also discussed when BUP Finland organised the webinar series Implementing sustainability at Universities. The main target group for the webinar series was teachers in higher education, especially within the BUP, however the webinars were open for everyone interested.

The webinar series was popular, with about a hundred participants in each webinar. The four webinars discussed how we can implement sustainability at universities in respect of teaching, research and campus greening. The whole series can be watched on The Baltic University Programme’s Youtube channel.

BUP Sustainability Report 2022

As part of this project, the BUP Student Ambassadors have created a Sustainability Report which details enlightening moments and ideas about sustainability at BUP participating universities. Here, BUP Student Ambassadors profile and discuss sustainability at their university and how they are being inspired and motivated.

This report has been created thanks to the inputs of Student Ambassadors from German, Swedish, Slovak and Latvian universities, that have compiled in the form of a booklet, initiatives implemented across the Baltic Sea Region, in a bid to become more sustainable.

BUP Sustainability Report (pdf). Pdf, 2 MB.

Contact and further information

The BUP is always interested to hear from colleagues at participating universities about their work and ideas with sustainability. This can be information, ideas for cooperation and events. Please do get in touch with the Coordinating Secretariat via info@balticuniv.uu.se