Focus on sustainable development

In autumn 2015, the Uppsala University Board of Governors adopted a programme for sustainable development setting out how the university is to proceed in this area. The purpose of the programme is to stimulate commitment, initiative and new ways of thinking when it comes to sustainability. It sprung from the university’s Mission and Core Values statement and will serve as the guiding principle for the internal work done by the university.

‘Combining our very considerable specialist and general knowledge with our aim of carrying out world class research and education gives the university an excellent opportunity to be a driving force in this area,’ says Eva Åkesson.

Now a plan of action for the coming years has been added to the programme.  It specifies strategic priorities in the Programme for Sustainable Development by setting out what is to be done in the period 2016-2018.

Here are some of the items included in the plan of action:

• Promote the dissemination knowledge and the results achieved by research which has focused upon sustainable development
• Encourage researchers at the University to apply interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary perspectives which might contribute to sustainable development
• Support collaboration and interdisciplinary projects, especially in areas with clear links to core issues within sustainable development
• Stimulate and support doctoral students and researchers to integrate sustainability perspectives into their research at an early stage
• Arrange an annual conference to increase the internal exchange of information and knowledge
• Include a sustainability perspective in appropriate programme and course syllabuses
• Make it possible to integrate sustainable development courses into degree programmes
• Educate study advisers and career advisers in sustainable development
• Strengthen the sustainability profile of the work done by the University to support collaboration and innovation