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Greener networking – How European universities can become more sustainable together

Universities are places where new knowledge is created and taught, and they are increasingly becoming pioneers when it comes to putting this knowledge into practice. This also applies to the ambitious goal of operating, teaching, and conducting research in a more sustainable manner. But how exactly does this work? And how can the goal of comprehensive sustainability be implemented from the drawing board in as many areas of a university as possible? Structures need to be changed, infrastructure modernized and, more than anything else, people need to be convinced of the importance of the goal and that it can be achieved. This requires good ideas and staying power. At the beginning of May 2025, numerous people working toward the goal of sustainable universities at universities across Europe met at a Staff Week at the University of Potsdam. The event was jointly organized by the International Office and the Potsdam team of the European Digital UniverCity (EDUC), supported by the Green Office of the UP and the Sustainability Team of the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN).

“The aim of Staff Week was to provide participants with strategies and tools to implement their individual sustainability goals,” explains Marika Blell from the International Office. “The wide range of knowledge input, interactive workshops, advisory support, and exchanges with colleagues were designed to help them tackle their specific projects or challenges.”

Seventeen participants from partner universities in Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, Norway, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, and Hungary took part – mainly from the EDUC Alliance and YERUN, a network of 24 young European research universities that the University of Potsdam joined in 2022. “The participants came from a wide variety of fields within their universities,” said Wiebke Giese from the Potsdam EDUC team. “This alone shows that sustainability touches many levels and is discussed and addressed at all levels.” The week-long program was designed by Christoph Rasche, Professor of Management, Professional Services & Sports Economics at the University of Potsdam, together with three lecturers from the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), which, like the University of Potsdam, is active in both networks.

One of them, Arild Tjomsland, works in knowledge and technology transfer at USN and is also responsible for a specific sustainability project. He values the exchange in a field that is still in its infancy in many places: “I feel that we universities can learn a lot from each other when it comes to sustainability – and I'm excited about opportunities like this to be inspired by other people's perspectives.”

Tanguy Descamps feels the same way. At the University of Rennes, he coordinates sustainability in a very practical way across the university and also teaches theory in courses for students. “I wanted to get in touch with people who have similar tasks to mine,” he says. “I'm interested in the strategies they are developing to make their university sustainable, what works and what I can learn from them.”

In addition to introductions to theoretical and strategic basics, the Staff Week “timetable” therefore included extensive discussions on best practices and practical exercises. This benefits not least those who still have a long way to go, such as Petar Szabo from the Hungarian University of Sport Management in Budapest. “The topic of sustainability has hardly played a role at our university or in my field of study so far. But I've learned so much this week and hope to be able to implement some of it. In that sense, it was a real wake-up call for me!”

In addition to workshops and discussions, the week also offered an opportunity to get to know the university campus in the Sanssouci World Heritage Park and the city of Potsdam. “For me, this is also a significant added value of networks such as EDUC or YERUN,” says Arild Tjomsland. “You visit places you might never have gone to otherwise.” He has already benefited greatly from EDUC in recent years, getting to know other countries and people. Tanguy Descamps from Rennes was not familiar with EDUC before Staff Week, but is already very impressed: “A Europe-wide network like this is great, especially for our cause of sustainable higher education, which we can work towards even better together.”

What is EDUC?

EDUC – the European Digital UniverCity – is an alliance of eight European universities that is shaping the higher education landscape of tomorrow: digital, connected, inclusive, and sustainable. The alliance brings together the University of Potsdam with universities from six other countries: University of South-Eastern Norway (Norway), Université de Rennes (France), Université Paris Nanterre (France), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), University of Pécs (Hungary), Universitat Jaume I (Spain), Università degli Studi di Cagliari (France). It thus creates a common European education and research area for students, teachers, researchers, and staff with a focus on digitalization, inclusion, mobility, and European cooperation.

More information about EDUC: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/educ/

Further offers in EDUC (offers are continuously updated and supplemented):

EDUC Staff Weeks: https://www.educalliance.eu/news/overview-of-upcoming-staff-weeks-organized-by-our-partner-universities

EDUC Microcredentials for staff: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/educ/fuer-mitarbeitende/microcredentials