New sustainability hub to drive sustainability and enhance collaboration

The planning of a new Aalto University wide sustainability hub to be established in 2018 was the focus of a workshop organized by Aalto Global Impact, which promotes and facilitates Aalto University´s research and educational programmes for societal impact globally. The aim of the workshop was to explore how to further embed sustainability into Aalto University’s activities and enhance collaboration.

‘Since the sustainability hub is currently in its planning phase, we wanted to bring together relevant stakeholders from different schools and services to share their views on how to better embed sustainability within the activities of Aalto University,’ says Director Teija Lehtonen, Aalto Global Impact. ‘So, our key focus was on what concrete steps could an Aalto University sustainability hub take to better integrate sustainability into research, education, innovation, and campus activities.’

Key insights from the workshop include the need to increase awareness about current sustainability initiatives within Aalto University, which is a prerequisite for increasing collaboration. The support of top management was stressed, in order to attain sufficient resources, yet at the same time it was emphasized that the sustainability hub should be decentralized so that it is not limiting to those involved but empowering.

‘The challenge of the sustainability hub will be to continuously balance between driving the sustainability agenda forward and yet remaining decentralized, open and accessible,’ explains Professor Minna Halme, one of the initiators of the sustainability hub.

‘Numerous different sustainability activities already exist and we want to raise awareness about these, improve possibilities for collaboration both internally and externally, as well as raise the profile of Aalto University in terms of sustainability,’ says Specialist Annukka Jyrämä, Research and Innovation Services. ‘Faculty and staff interested in and working on sustainability issues are welcome to get in touch so we can get more people involved, as we are currently at the starting point of identifying the relevant internal stakeholders.’

Some 30 faculty and staff took part in the workshop in May, which was facilitated by Aalto students. Summary (pdf) highlighting different insights raised at the workshop.

More information:

Annukka Jyrämä, Specialist, Research and Innovation Services
annukka.jyrama@aalto.fi
+358 50 3732238

Minna Halme, Professor, School of Business
minna.halme@aalto.fi
+358 40 3538251