Opening of the Erasmus Sustainability Hub

The Erasmus Sustainability Hub will be the place where all groups and initiatives connected with sustainability on the campus can get together. The word 'sustainability' refers to social sustainability as well as to the environment since Erasmus4Rotterdam, Erasmus University’s voluntary work project, is also part of the Hub for example. Erasmus University aims to become one of the most sustainable universities in the Netherlands.

The Erasmus Sustainability Hub will be forging links between the many projects carried out in education, research and business operations. The Hub is also working on raising awareness by continually generating attention for sustainability, and it intends to collaborate with external partners as well. It is run by a team of eight student assistants led by sustainability coordinator Eva Rood and supported by voluntary workers.

Voluntary work
A campaign intended to focus attention on litter on the streets is one of the projects to be carried out during the next few months. In addition, Erasmus University plans to restore 100,000 hours of voluntary work performed by students and staff to the city of Rotterdam this academic year, for instance by helping out with the IFFR and the Rotterdam Marathon. 
The university will also be taking part in the annual Warme Truiendag (Warm Sweater Day) on 7 February, while students from the Honours Programme will be helping with the further introduction of Meat Free Mondays on campus. Lecturers involved in sustainable education or research will be organising a monthly Erasmus Impact Café to discuss the effectiveness of voluntary sustainability initiatives (28 January, Professor Martijn Scheltema) and future energy policy (end of February, Professor Wolfgang Ketter).

The official opening of the Sustainability Hub by President van der Meer Mohr on 15 January will be followed by two rounds of workshops in order to exchange ideas on how best to accelerate the transition to a sustainable campus.

“There’s already a lot going on at Erasmus University right now in connection with sustainability,” says sustainability coordinator Eva Rood. “And we’re really looking forward to using all these initiatives to create even more impact.”