AU to cultivate flagship project on sustainability – three candidates under consideration
Strategy 2030 identifies sustainability as a strategic focus area for AU. A ambitious interdisciplinary research platform that tackles a specific sustainability challenge is a major new initiative under the strategy. Three projects are under consideration– one of them will be selected later this year.
The road to a successful green transition is paved with big, complicated research questions. Here are three, not entirely random examples:
- How can we create a more sustainable cycle for plastic?
- How can we exploit a natural geochemical process to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere?
- How can we create a more sustainable and robust energy supply?
The three questions are very different, but they have several things in common: Firstly, they have the potential to make a huge difference to society. Secondly, they call for a massive research effort involving a wide range of disciplines. And thirdly, research groups across AU have thrown themselves into them in the hope of developing the flagship project that will help realise the university's 2030 strategy in the area of sustainability.
The three candidate projects – in brief
PlaCir: Towards a Circular Plastic Economy
- Aims to develop a more sustainable cycle for plastics – with a focus on production, (re)use, regulation, etc.
- Faculties involved: NAT, TECH, Arts, Aarhus BSS
CO2 removal through mineralisation
- Will explore how to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere by harnessing a natural geochemical process.
- Faculties involved: NAT, Aarhus BSS, Arts, TECH
Multi Microgrids – local, sustainable and robust energy supplies
- Will demonstrate how interconnected microgrids can form the basis for a sustainable and resilient energy supply with the support of the local population.
- Faculties involved: TECH, NAT, Arts, Health, Aarhus BSS
From three sustainability missions to one
The 2030 strategy has six focus areas. One of these is that Aarhus University should be at the forefront of the sustainable transition of society – and as a first new initiative, an ambitious research platform will be established to help solve a significant green challenge while promoting collaboration across the university's departments.
The question now is which of the three project proposals will ultimately be realised as AU's strategic flagship in the area of sustainability. This will be decided over the coming months, during which the projects will undergo a maturation process, assisted by a professional steering group consisting of representatives from all faculties and Arts Dean Maja Horst.
Later this year, the university management will make the final selection, and Rector Brian Bech Nielsen expects this to be a major challenge:
"There is solid research behind all three projects. At the same time, the research questions are ambitious and well-formulated, there are good opportunities to involve external partners, and above all, all the projects have the potential to make a huge difference to our society. We can only take on the development of them under our own strategic umbrella, but I won't hide the fact that I secretly hope and believe that the other two projects will reach a stage where they can be continued in a different context," says the rector.
Criteria
The three projects were selected based on the following main parameters, among others:
- Significance: Society needs to solve this challenge, and the solution must make a difference to society.
- Timing: A focused research effort would be able to generate a solution or substantial progress within a five-year period.
- Complexity: The challenge must be complex enough to require an interdisciplinary research effort involving several faculties.
- Position of strength: The solution must build on some of AU's research strengths.
A strategy that makes a difference
The new sustainability initiative is the second major initiative to be launched since Aarhus University's 2030 strategy came into effect at the turn of the year. AU recently announced a major cybersecurity research initiatiative, and is now ready to move forward with another of the strategy's focus areas.
"By its very nature, the 2030 strategy covers a broad spectrum. That goes with the territory at a large university with an incredible number of activities which the strategy must attempts to encompass. But that doesn't mean we've set a lot of detailed activity targets – on the contrary, we're trying to focus our efforts on concrete initiatives that will make a genuine difference both for the university and for society," says Rector Brian Bech Nielsen.
He is also excited about how hard both academic and administrative staff have worked to put together these proposals, which is what’s made it possible for AU to launch several strategic initiatives so soon after the approval of the strategy:
"Even though the strategy is long-term, there’s no reason to wait to put it into action. Aarhus University is ready to go, our staff are passionate about making a difference, and our knowledge is needed both here at home and in the rest of the world.”