On December 2 and 3, four STU representatives (students from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Institute of Management and teachers from the Faculty of Architecture and Design) participated in the symposium Climate-neutral and climate-resilient cities and universities in Europe at the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität in Hannover, Germany. The event was created in cooperation with the city of Hannover and partner university cities. It provided a space for discussion on planning climate-resilient and climate-neutral cities and universities with the aim of ensuring a sustainable future.
After the official opening and welcoming by distinguished guests, discussions on topics such as the transformation of cities to climate neutral, circular design, the concept of the 15-minute city and case studies focused on the adaptation of Athens to the challenges of climate change and the smart climate city strategy in Vienna followed. In the afternoon, parallel discussions focused on sharing experiences on strategies, successes and obstacles, as well as on the topics of Citizen Science and digitalization for sustainability. The day concluded with an exchange of good practice examples and informal networking at an evening reception.
The second day was more focused on procedural issues for academics. The program included a workshop on financing options for climate-responsible measures and a discussion on the role of universities in promoting climate resilience. Participation in the symposium brought valuable insights for the professional development of students and the establishment of partnerships among university employees.
We thank Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität for the invitation and look forward to further activities within the EULiST network.
Bc. Vilém Honysz, 5th year student, Department of Spatial Planning at the Institute of Management, STU
