University of Bremen: Recommendations for sustainability adopted

All students should be familiarized with the challenges of climate change and sustainability issues during their studies. This is one of the goals that 45 university directors from 27 countries have agreed on at the Global University Leaders Council Hamburg ( GUC ). At the forum organized every two years by the German Rectors’ Conference ( HRK ), the Körber Foundation and the University of Hamburg, university managements discuss the global challenges facing international higher education systems. The topic of this year’s virtual meeting was the contribution of universities to coping with climate change and more sustainability in society.

Global solidarity required for climate protection
In their declaration, the university management commits their institutions to a holistic approach to measures for climate protection and sustainability. In doing so, they emphasized the importance of global solidarity: despite the scientific competition and sometimes competing national priorities, it is important to strengthen the opportunities for institutions to act together.
“Universities around the world are in a central position to support coping with the consequences of climate change,” explains HRK President Professor Peter-André Alt in a conclusion by the GUC. “They influence the actions of the society of tomorrow, by taking up the strongly called-especially the young generation environmental protection and sustainability, and make them the basis of their actions.” In this respect, the participants of the demanded GUC including the integration of aspects of environmental protection and sustainability in the curricula of all courses.

University of Bremen well ahead in climate and environmental research
The rector of the university also sees the integration of the topics of climate protection and sustainability in the degree programs as an important and logical step. “The University of Bremen is one of the world’s leading universities in climate and environmental research,” emphasizes Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter. “Our scientists conduct research in renowned interdisciplinary networks. They pass on their knowledge to their students. You can study on the topic of climate in numerous study programs, courses in European exchange and with digital learning resources. As a climate university, we are already helping to network climate protection in research and teaching internationally. But we have to push our measures further! “