Sustainability vision

Ghent University wants to be a leading knowledge institute for a future that is ecologically, socially and economically sustainable within a local and global context.

To this end:

  • Ghent University creates a substantial foundation for sustainable development;
  • Ghent University integrates sustainability in its education, research and services;
  • Ghent University implements sustainability in its general management and organisation.

Sustainability principles

Towards a substantial foundation for sustainable development

  • Creating major involvement through sensitisation and communication and by offering the opportunity of participating in the UGent sustainability policy.
  • Combining the sustainability policy with numerous other strategic projects from the Strategic Plan, which are focused, directly or indirectly, on sustainable development.
  • Collating expertise and interest in sustainable development, in terms of education, research and business management and by realising and reinforcing learning networks.
  • Entering into alliances with commercial companies, social and political parties involved in the sustainability agenda.
  • Annual reporting of a sustainability report.

Integration of sustainability in education, research and services.

  • Making students sufficiently familiar with social, ecological and economic sustainability issues and with possible solutions. A university-wide elective course ‘Sustainable Development’ can be an important first step in this.
  • Integrating sustainable development in the entire range of education.
  • Further stimulating research with a view to a socially just, ecologically and economically feasible sustainable future.
  • Offering local and global scientifically supported services in terms of sustainability to wider society.

Implementing sustainability in the business management and organisation

  • Committing to sustainable energy management, sustainable mobility, sustainable food, sustainable purchasing and resource management, and ecological greenery management within general management.
  • Developing tools to make the general management structurally sustainable and effective in the long term.
  • Committing to trial projects demonstrable in the short term and with the aim of making the university community more aware of the importance of sustainable development.