idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
From new technologies for saving fuel to alternatives to petroleum from renewable resources – many areas concerning sustainability are undergoing research at the University of Kaiserslautern. The Sustainability Office was also set up on campus last year. It aims to create awareness for sustainability in research, teaching and administration. Students are also getting involved and developing their own ideas on how the university can become more sustainable in how it runs. The Sustainability Office team are to present themselves at the Hannover Messe from 24th to 28th April, at the research stand of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (hall 2, stand B40).
Julia Hufnagel works with a team of four student assistants and twelve volunteers in the Sustainability Office. “Most of them are bachelor’s or master’s students, but we also have a PhD student on the team,” says Hufnagel, who conducts research on sustainable business innovations as part of her doctorate under Prof Dr Katharina Spraul at the Chair for Sustainability Management, in addition to her current coordination position in the Sustainability Office. “We consider everything from the perspective of ecology, society and the economy,” she adds. “Our work deals with resource-conserving economic activity, environmentally compatible mobility, family support and transparent finances.” The tasks performed by the Sustainability Office also include preparing the University of Kaiserslautern sustainability report. It contains extensive information regarding the economic, social and ecological situation of the university.
There is already a substantial amount of research and teaching in sustainability issues on the Kaiserslautern campus. For instance, process technicians are developing more energy-efficient technologies for industrial production, biologists are devising methods to make plants more resilient to climate change and engineers are creating ways to save fuel. In addition, chemists are researching brewing residues as a means of producing new products for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, while biotechnicians are working on alternatives to petroleum based on renewable resources. Moreover, the Distance and Independent Studies Center (DISC) of the University of Kaiserslautern is offering an online course each semester that is dedicated to sustainable development. It explores the issue from a range of perspectives.
“We want to achieve even greater networking in research over the coming years – more than the extent we currently have,” explains the young economist. The voluntary assistants are likewise conducting sustainable projects. They are working on an alternative to disposal coffee cups in the canteen, for example, or preparing a ‘sustainability guide’ that includes information on how batteries can be properly disposed of. The guide contains tips for a more sustainable life. A student group is also planning on re-using paper printed on one side to produce notepads.
The idea behind the Sustainability Office is nothing new: it originally comes from the Netherlands. There, many universities have already opened similar ‘green offices’. A limited number of universities in Germany also have them, such as in Hildesheim and Magdeburg. The team behind the Sustainability Office of the University of Kaiserslautern will introduce themselves and their work at the Hannover Messe.
For enquiries:
Julia Hufnagel
Tel: 0631 205-5559
Email: julia.hufnagel[at]wiwi.uni-kl.de
www.uni-kl.de/universitaet/projekte/nachhaltigkeitsbuero
The students (from left to right) Teresa Körber, Julie Vesque, Laura Sterle and Janika Ofterdinger p ...
Credit: Thomas Koziel
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Julia Hufnagel
Credit: University of Kaiserslautern
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Merkmale dieser Pressemitteilung:
Journalisten
Gesellschaft, Umwelt / Ökologie
überregional
Forschungs- / Wissenstransfer
Englisch
The students (from left to right) Teresa Körber, Julie Vesque, Laura Sterle and Janika Ofterdinger p ...
Credit: Thomas Koziel
None
Julia Hufnagel
Credit: University of Kaiserslautern
None
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