Green Office Ghent

“Green Offices are an excellent way to integrate education for sustainable development into universities, affecting teaching and learning, the physical campus and student life.” (UNESCO). Eager to be involved? Follow us on Facebook or Instagramour newsletter or visit us at the Green Hub.

About us

Since 2015, Ghent University has had a Green Office, where students and staff shape and strengthen the sustainability policy together, by initiating and coordinating sustainability projects, experimenting and connecting. The Green Office is the central point of contact for sustainability.

Projects on sustainable education

As students, we want sustainability to be covered much more in our education. We are experimenting with student-led education and trying to distribute theses around sustainable topics widely.

Projects on sustainable campuses

What does a sustainable campus look like? And how can a university itself set a good example. We look for possibilities and test it out. 

Projects on sustainable student life

We also put students on the road: in the student union and in their daily lives (in Ghent).
  • We show (international) students the way with a Green Guide.
  • With the Groene Ruijter we reward students' most sustainability actions. Submit (in Dutch)!
  • The Swap shop ensures that stuff goes from one (international) home resident to the next. We provide giveaways and book exchanges and collaborated on the sharing platform for study books.
  • We raise awareness about consumerism, drinking water fountains and reusable drinking cups, and we experiment with disposable coffee corners, vending machine-free buildings, post-mix facilities, ...
  • Every year, we organise March Environment Month with the homes.
  • We took part in the Gruute Kuis Gent and work on projects with the City on avoiding litter.

Social sustainability

Together with Durf Divers Denken (in Dutch) and the coordinator Diversiteit en Inclusie we also work on social sustainability.

  • We organise accessibility rounds, where we go around the campus and identify all kinds of barriers.
  • We spread a survey (in Dutch) on how faculties deal with diversity in teaching, student contact, and discrimination.
  • We support a lot of events in the month of diversity and inclusion.

Community and network

We connect committed students and staff and encourage and support colleagues, volunteers, and policymakers who want to work sustainably.

  • Would you like to become a volunteer? Or just come and meet us? Contact us or pop by at the Green Hub!!
  • Join the thinktank Transition UGent.
  • Put your expertise and commitment by joining one of the transition working groups or experimenting in our buildings or on our campuses in a living lab.

  • Do you have an idea for an event on sustainability? We support a lot of student organisations and staff members who want to organise sustainable activities (both in terms of content and logistics).

Sustainability policy

We also participate in sustainability policy and do policy preparatory work, e.g. through the transition working groups. At the same time, we also put pressure on policy, which remains too slow, too conservative and too cautious. But always constructively and in dialogue!

Outreach

With lectures, workshops and debates, we inform and engage people. We regularly launch our own awareness-raising campaigns, pamphlets and memoranda. In this way, we show which actions already happen at the Ghent University, and we imagine how a more sustainable university can look like.

    Contact

    Follow us on Facebook or Instagramour newsletter or visit us at the Green Hub. Welcome!