About Us
Student Sustainability Office
Team
Our Tasks
Foundation
The student Sustainability Office Initiative e.V. has been campaigning for the institutionalisation of a student-run sustainability office at the University of Freiburg since May 2018 and is committed to a socio-ecological university environment.
In 2019, the initiative was honoured for its efforts with the Alumni Award for Social Commitment from the Alumni Freiburg e.V. support association. In December 2022, the Rectorate finally decided to establish an institutionalised student sustainability office at the University of Freiburg. This decision marked the beginning of the initiative’s dissolution phase.
The initiative campaigned for a transdisciplinary teaching programme in the field of sustainability. These efforts resulted in the Sustainability Certificate, which has been available at the university since November 2020.
The members were also keen to network committed students with each other and establish contact with the university administration. This created a new space for encounters and dialogue.
The initiative also supported the university’s sustainability strategy with a critical student perspective.
The members of the initiative were also significantly involved in the organisation and planning of the University Days for Sustainability (in existence since 2017) and the Erstsemesterakademie BaWü zukunftsfähig (in existence since 2020).
Development
The work of the institutionalised student sustainability office officially began in June 2023.
Three student assistants from various degree programmes were trained by the university’s sustainability manager (Lora Gyuzeleva) and a member of the Sustainability Office Initiative e.V. (Helen Dörr). In November 2023, another student assistant, specialising in sustainability in laboratories, joined the team.
Since the end of June 2023, we have been offering open consultation hours. Interested parties are welcome to drop by our office in Hebelstraße on Wednesday between 2 and 4 p.m. to talk to us directly.
Since July 2023, we have also been firmly represented on the three sustainability committees of the University of Freiburg. These are: Sustainability Council, Working Group Sustainable University, Sustainability Certificate Programme Advisory Board.
In October 2023, the Erstsemesterakademie BaWü zukunftsfähig took place for the first time under our direction with the active support of volunteer students. New features included a more extensive sustainability city tour, which we organised together with the Kaufrausch Initiative e.V. and an additional programme day for Eucor students.
In February 2024, a cooperation between the University of Basel and our sustainability office resulted in a new module for Eucor students to develop a concept for a sustainable city tour.
Since March 2024, we have a newsletter that will inform you about news, job offers, offers for volunteers and much more.