From April 20 to 25, the 7th Sustainability Days took place at TU Ilmenau and set an example for sustainable action on campus.
As an integral part of campus life, the "Sustainability Days at TU Ilmenau" enable students and employees to actively engage with sustainability-related topics twice a year and become part of the change themselves.
This builds on a process that the university initiated and strategically anchored three years ago: the path towards a sustainable community. In order to actively contribute to achieving the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals as an international place of science, study and work, TU Ilmenau has since been committed to actively promoting sustainability in studies, teaching and research as well as in the city and region.
At the same time, the aim is to strengthen social cohesion and further increase the attractiveness of the campus and the university.
Many committed people, one goal
This semester, the Sustainability Days once again offered a varied program that gave students and employees numerous opportunities to get involved.
A visible sign of long-term commitment on campus was set by the joint tree-planting campaign around Earth Day on April 22: in beautiful weather, dancers from the Oriana belly dance group, singers from the DaChor at KuKo e.V. and members of the student council's sustainability working group joined other guests at the university sports ground to contribute to ecological diversity on campus by planting a summer lime tree and a weeping willow.
In addition, a creative workshop on designing bags from recycled materials in the Makerspace of the university library and a "market of opportunities" in the canteen foyer invited students to get involved.
Diverse formats and professional perspectives
Media formats such as the "Ilmenau Sustainability Corner" radio show on hsf, Germany's oldest university radio station, and diverse professional perspectives complemented the program: a presentation on research findings on the stress experienced by employees during periods of summer heat on campus and a workshop on the Sustainable Development Goals in teaching encouraged discussion.
Other program items such as the Thuringian Energy Day, a "Sustainability Photowalk" in cooperation with the KuKo e.V. photo club and the repair meeting of the Ilmenau regional group of Engineers without Borders e.V. rounded off the week. The photo walk offered a glimpse into sustainable and less sustainable spots on campus and also marked the launch of a photo contest. The best entries will be exhibited on June 20 at the Ilmenau Science Night.
Prof. Jens Müller, Vice President for International Relations and Transfer and member of the Sustainability Task Group at TU Ilmenau sums up the week:
The Sustainability Days show how diverse sustainable development can be implemented in everyday university life - from practical actions to scientific exchange - and how the common path to a Sustainable Community is being filled with life step by step.
The next Sustainability Days will take place in October. We welcome your ideas at: nachhaltigkeit@tu-ilmenau.de or nachhaltigkeit@stura.tu-ilmenau.de
More information on TU Ilmenau’s path toward becoming a sustainable community: www.tu-ilmenau.de/en/university/profile/sustainability
Information about the photo contest: fwb.kuko-ev.de/
Impressions
Contact
Mira Rochyadi-Reetz
Sustainability Communications Office