A meeting with ELSEVIER-Measuring Sustainability in Research Through the SDGs
On the 24th of February (14h-15h30 CET),following the two meetings ISCN has hosted with QS and THE on sustainability rankings, we had the opportunity to expand and explore how information service providers identify SDGs in the research output they measure. On this occasion we had the pleasure of hosting M'hamed el Aisati, VP of Product Management, Funding and Content Analytics at Elsevier.
The session was moderated by: Kristina von Oelreich (KTH) and Alexander Nebel (EPFL)
Next steps on developing UN sustainability indicators with the ranking agencies
You may remember that ISCN organized on June 24th a virtual event on the topic of: Times Higher Education Impact Ranking: a catalyzer towards more sustainability in Universities? The video of the event can be found here.
As a follow-up of the results that were drawn then, two events were organized with Times Higher Education and QS on the topics of sustainability metrics in academic league tables.
A) October 29th
Meeting with Duncan Ross from Times Higher Education on the future developments of THE Impact ranking (keywords identification of sustainability in research, etc.) and to respond to your questions.
Meeting 1: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CET (UTC+1)
Meeting 2: 5:00-6:00 PM CET (UTC+1)
B) November 4th
Meeting with Daniel Kahn, Leigh Kamolins, and Andrew MacFarlane from QS on their intention to include sustainability in their global ranking.
Meeting 1: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM CET (UTC+1)
Meeting 2: 5:00-6:00 PM CET (UTC+1)
ISCN Virtual Events Series: Strengthening the exchange of knowledge and ideas amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
As the world adapts in order to move forward amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISCN has quickly reoriented its efforts to bring members and non-members together by providing virtual platforms that facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas. A clear example of these efforts has been this year’s first series of virtual events, which took place between the 14 May and 24 June of 2020.
The ISCN Awards Ceremony 2020
The ISCN 2020 Awards Ceremony was held virtually on 14 May 2020 and brought together 343 attendees from over 40 countries. The Awards Ceremony received significant positive feedback, with particularly positive comments regarding the event as an opportunity to learn more about the winning initiatives.
The ISCN 2020 Award winners:
34 applications were received from 25 institutions across the four ISCN Awards categories - Whole Systems Approach, Partnerships for Progress, Cultural Change for Sustainability, and Honorary Member Award.
The 2020 awardees were:
- Cultural Change for Sustainability Award: Thammasat University, Thailand [video]
- Whole Systems Approach Award: Chalmers University of Technology and KTH, Sweden.[video]
- Partnerships for Progress Award: LUT University, Finland.[video]
- Honorary Member Award: McGill University, Canada.[video]
You can watch the awards ceremony's eye opening keynote by climate change expert and leader of ETHZ’s climate physics group, Reto Knutti, by clicking this link. You can watch the full ISCN 2020 Awards video here.
Student Engagement for Sustainability on Campus: an ISCN Student-led Virtual Session
The second event of the series, “Student Engagement for Sustainability on Campus” took place on 28 May 2020. This event was conceptualized, organized and coordinated by students of member institutions. As such, it was a solid step for “increasing student involvement with the network”, one of the goals of the ISCN strategic plan 2020-2023.
The webinar, moderated by Dario Siegen (ISCN 2020 Conference’s student coordinator), included a keynote from Marie-Claire Graf (founder of the student initiative Sustainability Week International), engaging presentations from Sharina Ligtelijn and Marijn van Steen ( members of the Green Teams TU Delft), as well as interactions from the audience. This webinar hosted 654 attendees from 44 countries. In addition, a second part of the event was geared towards working group sessions in breakout-rooms for 55 participants.
You can watch the webinar by clicking this link.
Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking: a catalyzer towards more sustainability in Universities?
The third and final event of the first series of virtual events for 2020 was the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking: a catalyzer towards more sustainability in Universities event, which hosted 377 attendees from over 40 countries.
The event was moderated by Kristina Von Oelreich (Sustainability Manager-KTH) and Alexander Nebel (Head of Institutional Data Management-EPFL) and was framed around the presentation of the results of a survey on the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking conducted among leading universities in sustainable development by the ISCN’s Times Higher Education Working Group.
The webinar included a keynote debate between Janet Hering (Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG)/Professor of Biogeochemistry at ETHZ and EPFL) and Göran Finnveden (Environmental Strategic Analysis and Vice-president for Sustainable Development at KTH Royal Institute of Technology). Additionally, six ISCN representatives of member institutions presented their testimonials pertaining to the potential and challenges of the THE Impact Ranking. You can watch the full video here.
Overall Experience for Members and Non-Members
The first series of ISCN virtual events have been a resounding success with over 1,374 attendees and excellent reviews and levels of satisfaction. We look forward to bringing you the second series of virtual events that will kick-off in October and will run through December 2020. We hope to see you all there.
The ISCN Secretariat
Times Higher Education Impact Ranking: a catalyzer towards more sustainability in Universities?
[Click to download presentation]
The program includes:
A. Keynote debate between:
- Janet Hering, Director of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) and Professor of Biogeochemistry at ETHZ and EPFL.
- Göran Finnveden, Environmental Strategic Analysis and Vice-president for Sustainable Development at KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
B. Presentation of the results of a survey on the THE Impact Ranking conducted among leading universities in sustainable development.
C. Testimonials from 6 ISCN member Universities on the potential and challenges of the THE Impact Ranking.
Presented and moderated by:
Kristina Von Oelreich, Sustainability Manager-KTH
Alexander Nebel, Head of Institutional Data Management-EPFL[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
ISCN Student Led Virtual Event
Student Engagement for Sustainability on Campus
an ISCN Student-led Virtual Session
In this interactive webinar, we explored the role of students in their efforts to accelerate climate action and sustainability in higher education! Participation was open to all interested parties and not exclusively students. Please watch the whole webinar below:
https://youtu.be/4-CklgU9TgI?t=333
Keynote speech: 'Youth Empowerment in Higher Education and beyond'
Marie-Claire Graf is a Swiss youth advocate for sustainable development and climate action. She is the president of the Swiss Associations of Student Organizations for Sustainability, co-founder and core-team member of the Sustainably Week Switzerland and Sustainability Week International, vice president at the think tank Swiss Youth for Climate and YOUNGO Focal Point 2020, the official youth constituency to the UNFCCC.
Session: 'GreenTeams - Student-led teams working on the integration of sustainability into their faculty and education'
Sharina Ligtelijn is a master student in Mechanical Engineering at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. She has been a part of the very first so called GreenTeam at TU Delft. This is a team of students working on integrating sustainability into their own faculty of TU Delft. She is currently setting up more of these teams across campus since she is the GreenTeams Coordinator at the Green Office of TU Delft (GreenTU).
Marijn van Steen is a master student in Industrial Design Engineering, the chair of GreenTU and former student representative in the Student Council, where she put sustainability on the agenda on a university-wide level.
More info on the GreenTeams: https://www.tudelft.nl/sustainability/get-involved/greentu/
[Download Presentation Here]
[Worksheet GreenTeams Workshop]
ISCN Virtual Events for 2020
ISCN Virtual Events
The disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the way we communicate, share ideas and move our institution’s mission forward. In line with this, ISCN leadership is exploring online platforms and developing a robust calendar of virtual events that will soon be shared with ISCN members. This series of virtual events is aimed at energizing, engaging and informing ISCN members.
Confirmed Virtual Events so far – via zoom/YouTube channel from 15:00-17:00 CEST, Swiss time:
- 14th of May 2020 ISCN Awards Ceremony 2020
- 28th of May 2020 ISCN Student-led sessions (exact title tbc)
- 24th of June 2020 Presentation of the results of the ISCN Working Group on the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking. (Exact date and time tbc)
Call for Virtual Event Proposals
ISCN would also like to invite its members in identifying ideas for virtual events (and possibly organise them) and now launches a Call for proposals for virtual events.
If you are interested in hosting a virtual event or would like to share an idea or theme, please send us an email to [email protected] with the following subject headline: ISCN Virtual Event Proposal. The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2020.
Virtual events proposals led by more than one ISCN Member are highly desirable and will be given preference. They will be programmed from September 2020 onwards (about one event per month). Please note that ISCN members who propose virtual events might be expected to dedicate the necessary resources to bring the event to fruition (identifying and securing keynote speakers, structuring and designing the event, logistics, etc.). The ISCN Secretariat will support this process by providing visibility and publicity, communication to the ISCN community and beyond and by providing technical support for the virtual events if needed.
We are looking forward to receiving your proposals and ideas. If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to get in touch with us.
With kind regards,
The ISCN Secretariat
ISCN 2020: Accelerating Climate Action and Sustainability in Education Postponed to June 2-4, 2021
ISCN 2020: Accelerating Climate Action and Sustainability in Education 24-26 June 2020
Postponed
New Dates: June 2-4, 2021
The ISCN Board of Directors, in accordance with the global efforts to manage, contain and minimize the effects of COVID-19, has decided to postpone the ISCN’s 14th International Conference, ISCN 2020: Accelerating Climate Action and Sustainability in Education to 2-4 June 2021 on EPFL Campus in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The ISCN Board of Directors, Advisory Committee, Secretariat and Conference Planning Committee would like to thank all ISCN members and other Conference contributors who have worked hard to bring ISCN 2020 to life. We look forward to collaborating with you going towards ISCN 2021! The Conference Program that was planned for ISCN 2020 will be kept for ISCN 2021 to the extent possible.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to send us an email: [email protected].
With our very best wishes to you and your families during these challenging times,
The ISCN Conference Organizing Committee
Announcement: UAS Spring Campus Conference 2020 launches call for oral & poster presentations
Spring Campus Conference 2020: “Commitments for Future: Sustainability in Higher Education”
We are delighted to announce that the calls for abstracts for oral & poster presentations for the 5th Spring Campus Conference of the University Alliance for Sustainability: “Commitments for Future: Sustainability in Higher Education” are now open. The conference will be hosted at Freie Universität Berlin from March 30 – April 3, 2020.
Program focus and objectives
In 2019, social movements raised the awareness of climate change and sustainability in public and scientific discourse, urging political leaders, business executives, and public institutions to “act now, not later”. This discourse has also reached Higher Education Institutions around the world. While sustainability has been increasingly rooted in research, teaching, and on the university campus, the current development has brought a new political and social dimension to campus:
- How do universities as public institutions respond to calls for action from their community and stakeholders?
- How do universities shape their governance structures in light of new participatory demands?
- How does the current discourse impact the societal and political role of universities?
The Opening Day on March 30th will address those commitment questions in key notes as well as in a panel discussion focusing on the core pillars of Higher Education Institutions: research, teaching, campus & management, and transfer & outreach activities.
On Tuesday and Wednesday (March 31 – April 1), we will continue with a program of parallel research and management workshops:
- Workshop I: "Financial Markets and Sustainable Development in Times of Climate Change" organized by Prof. Kurt Hübner (University of British Columbia), Dr. Berthold Kuhn (Freie Universität Berlin) and Prof. Itay Fishhendler (Hebrew University)
- Workshop II: "From Innovation to Acceptance: Challenges and Potentials of a Sustainable Energy Transition" organized by Dr. Maria Rosaria di Nucci and Bettina Tacke (Freie Universität Berlin)
- Workshop III: "Higher Education for Sustainability in Turbulent Times" organized by Prof. Inka Bormann, Dr. Mandy Singer-Brodowski and Nora Große (Freie Universität Berlin) and Prof. Robert VanWynsberghe (University of British Columbia)
- Workshop IV: "Digitalization: Opportunities, Challenges and Impacts on Sustainability Management in Higher Education" organized by Andreas Wanke and Katrin Schweigel (Freie Universität Berlin)
We invite researchers, practitioners, PhD students to submit contributions for the research and management workshops. Additionally, a PhD Workshop will be organized, which will conclude the Spring Campus Conference with a two-day meeting on Thursday and Friday (April 2 – 3). Further information and the calls for contributions for the Spring Campus Conference 2020 are available on this website: https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/spring-campus/03_Program/index.html. In case of any questions you are welcome to contact UAS network manager Katrin Schweigel ([email protected]).
Sign up for the City-University Partnerships / Metropolitan solutions workshop at ISCN 2019!
We look forward to welcoming you all to the University of São Paulo (USP) for the ISCN 2019 Conference !
Following Day 3 of the main conference, there will be an optional workshop offered to all interested conference attendees.
City-University Partnerships / Metropolitan solutions: Towards an externally funded ISCN Community of Practice
Hosted by Leendert Verhoef, AMS Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions and Michael Bossert, HFT Stuttgart
Friday, 14 June at 14:00
Cities around the globe are taking a leadership role in sustainability and resilience, yet few are doing so in partnership with their local universities in an intentional, system-wide and cross-disciplinary way. On the other hand, few campuses have a strategic framework in place for working with their city, yet significant resources are flowing to cities and universities for research and operational projects related to urban sustainability.
ISCN is well positioned as a network representing leading global universities and could help coordinate this type of city-campus collaboration, and has initiated a seed project to propel this line of thought.
In this workshop, we will progress the work in one of the ISCN SEED funds building a city-university assessment framework and extend the inventory of examples of city-university co-operations. We will discuss the work of participants with relation to their cities, ways for knowledge exchange on partnering between cities and universities, and potential funding sources for future joint work.
We would welcome all members and other interested parties to join in. The setting will be a real cop-working space, with no presentations. It builds on the presentation in the Plenary session on Tuesday. We would appreciate if you notify us by enlisting in advance ([email protected]), so we can arrange the appropriate space.
ISCN 2019: Keynote Speakers Announced! (updated)
We look forward to welcoming you to the University of São Paulo (USP) for the ISCN 2019 conference! The theme this year is "Partnerships for Progress". As ISCN 2019 conference planning advances, we are delighted to announce our keynote speakers.
Professor Patrícia Faga Iglecias Lemos as Day 2 Keynote
We are pleased to welcome Professor Patrícia Faga Iglecias Lemos as our keynote speaker on Day 2. Professor Lemos is an Associate Professor and Lecturer at the USP and serves as an Academic Advisor for Masters and Doctorate Courses in the School of Law and in the Environmental Sciences Programme. Professor Lemos has previously served as the Environmental Secretary of the State of São Paulo, Head of Environmental Affairs at USP, and President of CETESB, a São Paulo State Environmental Company.
Conference registration will remain open online until June 1. We encourage you to register, book your accommodation, and stay tuned for more exciting conference updates to come!
For more information on the conference, please contact [email protected].
Professor José Goldemberg to address conference delegates
We are honored to have Professor Goldemberg as our opening keynote as we welcome delegates to the ISCN 2019 conference. Professor José Goldemberg earned his Ph.D. in Physical Sciences from the University de São Paulo in 1954, where he held the position of Full Professor in the Engineering School’s Physics Department. He was Rector of the University from 1986 to 1991. A Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, he has served as the President of Brazilian Association for the Advancement of Science and President of the Energy Company of the State of São Paulo (CESP).