Sustainability remains an important theme for EUR. Great progress has been made in recent years, some more visible, others less so. The question we are now facing is how we will proceed in the coming years. What will be our new sustainability goals for research, education and business operations? This and other questions were addressed by students, employees and academics during the conference ‘Sustainability – the next level’, which took place at 31 May. This conference was organised by the Executive Board in collaboration with the students from the University Council to gather input for the university’s ambitions with respect to sustainability in relation to research, education and operational management.
- Date
- Thursday 31 May 2018, 12:00 - 18:00
- Type
- Conference
- Spoken Language
- English
- Room
- Forumzaal and restaurant Van der Goot building
- Space
- Forumzaal
- Building
- Van der Goot Building
- Location
- Campus Woudestein
"Attaining sustainability in the Anthropocene, the era in which humans influence the Earth system, requires us to rethink how we relate to the human-nature interface and how we understand the traditional divide between disciplines, into social and natural sciences. This requires considerable research investment in all disciplines. Yet, more is required. Importantly, we need to engage creative young brains and help them prepare for addressing the implications of the Anthropocene for human behaviour. Sustainability and the challenges it presents should thus be part of all curricula, including those at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The advent of the Anthropocene challenges me to get my head around its implications for international policy and law.”
Prof. Dr. Ellen Hey | Professor of Public International Law – Erasmus School of Law
“Education is key to scaling-up global sustainability efforts to create a safe and just operating space for humanity and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Students need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge to understand our sustainability challenges and have the attitude to create solutions. The next level on teaching for EUR is to ensure it is providing specialized programmes for deep knowledge, while also mainstreaming interdisciplinary sustainability skills and knowledge across our curricula.”
Dr. Steve Kennedy | Associate Professor – Department of Business-Society Management – Rotterdam School of Managemen
Photos
Have a look at the photos of the conference, taken by Michelle Muus.
Videos
On the day of the conference, students presented a statue of plastic. The materials for this statue were collected on campus, in merely two hours. Students also made a video in which they state how education at Erasmus University Rotterdam can contribute to a more sustainable future.
