Achieving Green Transition in EUt+: Challenges and Strategies for Integration

Expert Panel Discussion

On the journey towards a greener and more sustainable future, EUt+ faces unique challenges and opportunities given its diverse composition of 9 universities with 110,000 students, 7,000 academic and 5,500 non-academic staff members, each partner with its own distinct understanding of sustainability. Aiming to develop a common methodology for measuring the impact of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across curricula and research and to establish frameworks and methodologies for inclusive digital and green transformation, the EUt+ alliance will link its existing activities and structures to build an EUt+ Green Office.
With this context in mind, the panel discussion delved into key questions and considerations surrounding the integration of sustainability into education, research and the broader EUt+ framework. The esteemed panelists brought diverse perspectives to the table:

• EUt+ Green Offices Representative (Andreas Dionyssiou - CUT): Providing insights into the establishment and operational status of the EUt+ Green Office, including the development of terms of references.
• European Sustainability Science Lab Representative (Lou Grimal - h_da): Sharing updates on the progress of the European Sustainability Science Lab and its role in driving sustainability-focused research within EUt+.
• Academic Lead of the European Culture and Technology Lab+ (Noel Fitzpatrick – TU Dublin): sharing perspectives on ethical ecological digital transition and framing the panel discussion within the Ideas Institute activities
• Student Representative (Lina Achilles - h_da): Offering the student perspective on the integration of sustainability into education and research, and advocating for student involvement and engagement in sustainability initiatives.
• Professoral Representative (Marlen Vasquez - CUT): Bringing a teaching and research perspective to the discussion, offering insights into best practices and innovative approaches to sustainability integration in academia.

EUt+ and the EUt+ Ideas Institute

The context of the panel discussion on green transition is the EUt+ alliance (European University of Technology). EUt+ is an alliance of technological universities across 9 European states that are working together on building a deeper collaboration between European third level institutions with an ultimate goal of creating a unified European Technological University.

The panel discussion was part of a seminar series of the EUt+ Ideas Institute. The EUt+ Ideas Institute is a collaborative space for EUt+ to collect and critically reflect on our collective research and to open dialogue with different stakeholders across society about topics and issues related to this multi-interdisciplinary work, as well as to act as a space to promote our research outputs and engage in evidence based policy advocacy based on this. The Ideas Institute’s mission is to foster and promote multi-stakeholder (the public, civil society, politicians, industry, academia) awareness, understanding and debate on the critical issues facing society today with regards to rapid advances in science and technology (in all its manifestations) and consequent societal impacts whilst also considering broader issues of relevance to our work such as reflection on the very values that our wok is founded on.

For further contact: Dr. Gösta Gantner

Recording of the event