A green transport strategy and a sustainable procurement strategy were just some of the ideas aired by students and staff at the Aarhus University sustainability seminar. The importance of good waste disposal was also highlighted, and participants expressed a desire for AU to create a plan to give the university a neutral carbon footprint. Read all the ideas here.
The specific ideas will provide input for the sustainability strategy that Aarhus University is developing.
The university director’s blog: A sustainable AU - everyone can get involved
On the background of the seminar, University Director Arnold Boon focuses on sustainability in this month’s blog. He welcomed the enormous willingness of staff and students to promote the development of a more sustainable AU. He also invites students and staff to get involved in the new network #AUSustainability, where anyone who wants to join in can help promote sustainability at AU.
On 20 March, the Senior Management Team at Aarhus University decided to put the cleaning of 51 buildings at Aarhus University out to competitive tender. With this tender, AU is following the guidelines in the state tendering circular. In order to include all aspects, up to the beginning of 2020 a steering committee and a working group will be responsible for gathering and processing the requisite knowledge, so that after this process management can adopt a final stance on possible outsourcing.
University Director Arnold Boon acknowledges that this is a long period of uncertainty for staff affected, but that it is necessary to clarify all the advantages and disadvantages in detail so that the decision can be made on an informed basis.
As a first step in the tendering process, members have been appointed to the steering committee and the working group. Employees affected will be involved in the process, in part through the liaison committees and in part through the union representatives in the working group that is to work on the tendering process. The comments and concerns received as a result of the consultation period will also be included in this work.
AU students have to be matched with local companies both during and after their studies in order to create jobs and growth in Norddjurs Municipality. This is one of the cornerstones of the cooperation agreement signed by Jan Petersen, Mayor of Norddjurs Municipality, and Rector Brian Bech Nielsen this week. The agreement also aims to create additional good research partnerships such as those already established with the Kattegatcenter and Gammel Estrup – The Danish Manor Museum.
Last week, Brian Bech Nielsen also held presentations for members of Erhverv Grenaa, and a number of small and medium-sized enterprises have subsequently expressed an interest in strengthening their cooperation with AU.
For the second time in his career, Professor Jens Stougaard of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Aarhus University will receive an ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council for research into molecular plant biology. The grant amounts to EUR 2.5 million (approx. DKK 18.5 million) and will continue for a period of five years.
The senior management team publishes a weekly newsletter This includes details of decisions and initiatives from the senior management team, plus current activities and discussions.