Brainstorming "We want more sustainability".

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With a brainstorming on the topic of sustainability, the university, on the occasion of the 6th Hessian Sustainability Day, initiated a participatory process and invited students and employees to digitally submit a statement, a wish or even an idea for a sustainable university.

"Results on Brainstorming for a Sustainable University."

Among the 160 contributions submitted, many ideas and suggestions were received, dealing with topics such as nutrition, mobility, space design on campus, the use or ordering of recycled paper and sustainable office supplies, and the installation of drinking water dispensers. Wishes were also expressed with regard to sustainability-related research and teaching, e.g. the introduction of mandatory sustainability teaching in the course of studies and better internal as well as supra-regional networking. In addition, concrete ideas for improved coordination structures for the sustainability area as well as for improved information work and awareness-raising on environmental and sustainability aspects were put forward.

A large number of the students show great motivation and commitment in terms of participation and making contributions. However, they would also like the university to create appropriate framework conditions for co-design in the future. 

The detailed results of the individual questions are presented below on this website!


For me, sustainability means...

The statements below are a selection and exemplify what sustainability can mean to the individual. (Author Anonymous)

...long term, frugality, contentment, moderation and reason. Happiness from relationships with people and nature. Consumption in cycles, in harmony with material cycles of nature.

...to take seriously the limitation of resources and the capacity limits of our planet, never to use them beyond their long-term maximum and only as little as possible.

...Not only to implement individual points, but to pursue a holistic strategy. Since our lives must change fundamentally in order to maintain a climate that is comfortable for us, change is required at many adjusting screws. However, we must at least succeed in ensuring that future generations do not have to pay off our debts to the future.

...long term, frugality, contentment, moderation and reason. Happiness from relationships with people and nature. Consumption in cycles, in harmony with material cycles of nature.


The University of Kassel needs sustainable development because...

The statements below are again a selection and exemplify why the University of Kassel needs sustainable development from the respondents' point of view. (Author Anonymous)

...because all universities need sustainable development. As a self-proclaimed "environmental university", the University of Kassel has a special pioneering position.

....sie is one of the central challenges of our time. A university is almost obliged to face these challenges and to contribute to a solution strategy.

...Universities are where the decision-makers and architects of the future are educated. Therefore, I think it is indispensable that the university itself also sets a good example and shows the students a necessary path of sustainability from the first semester on and (further) sensitizes them for the topic and gives them the necessary tools to transform our world in a sustainable way.


I would like to see a sustainable development of the university....

The Wordcloud stands for the multitude of submitted requests to speak. The students and employees would particularly like to see a university that promotes the topic of sustainability through a commitment and strategic development, involving all university stakeholders in a participatory process.


For sustainable development of the UNIVERSITY, ...

I would like to see the following project..., ...this specific measure....


I already make the following contribution / I would like to make the following contribution...

A large number of students and employees at the university are already committed and make a contribution to the topic of sustainability. The contributions range from "I ride my bike to the university", "I only eat veggie dishes in the cafeteria", to "I print out very little on paper", "I stimulate students' sustainability awareness in my seminars", to "I am involved in StudentsForFuture / ScientistsForFuture", "I include ESD in my teaching".


Other suggestions

The suggestions listed below represent a variety of other submissions. (Author Anonymous)

...I think your activity on sustainability is very good and I wish that this will be continued and lead to concrete steps.

...students should be heard and involved more.

...There is a saying that goes, "If you want to tread new paths, you have to leave old ones". That takes courage. In the departments AND in the administration.


A transparent participatory process

In order not to let the process end with the brainstorming action, the organizers, the integrated sustainability management in the company, the office for environmental profile development and the eco department of the AStA, invited on October 9, 2020 to a joint exchange on the topic of sustainable development in university operations, with the Chancellor, Dr. Oliver Fromm. At the event, the results of the brainstorming were presented and discussed for interested parties.

All contributions are seen as helpful suggestions for research, teaching and operation, which should be taken into account in future planning. The aim is to involve university stakeholders more in the future and to create transparent structures, thereby involving all those interested in the topic in the process of sustainable development at the university.


The results

... will now be concretized and prioritized in a further step, transferred to a list of measures and presented to the university management.

The results: Read More