“Sustainable University” – empirical evidence and strategic recommendations for holistic transformation approaches to sustainability in higher education institutions

Sustainable development, and the process of institutional transformation this requires, remains a considerable challenge for universities. Worldwide, only a few universities are to date confronting these challenges. Through its initiatives “Agenda 21 and the University of Lüneburg” (1999-2001) and “Sustainable University – Sustainable Development in the Context of University Remits” (2004-2007), as well as through the UNESCO Chair of Higher Education for Sustainable Development, the University of Lüneburg has been among the first European universities to view the institution as a whole and to attempt to initiate processes in all working areas which point the way towards the integration of sustainability into each of the different areas in which it is active.Peer Reviewe

The role of green and Sustainability Offices in fostering sustainability efforts at higher education institutions

Green and Sustainability Offices are special settings which assist initiatives within higher education institutions to coordinate their efforts and work in the field of sustainable development. The set-up of such offices is known to be an effective tool in supporting the implementation of sustainability initiatives on campuses, and in fostering awareness among students and staff on matters related to sustainable development. But despite their usefulness and proven effectiveness, the use of Green Offices and Sustainability Offices is not as wide as it could -or should-be. Also, there is a limited amount of empirical international work performed to date, which have investigated the various barriers related to their works. This paper, which focus on the role played by green offices in a higher education context, addresses a research gap. On the basis of the need to address this research gap, this paper presents the results of an international study on Green and Sustainability Offices, performed with a sample of 70 higher education institutions from round the world. The study consisted of an on-line survey which identified the extent to which Green Offices or similar governance structures are being deployed, some specific aspects of their operations and the barriers or difficulties related to their activities. The study concludes by suggesting some topics higher education institutions may take into consideration, in order to maximise their potential benefits

“Sustainable University” – empirical evidence and strategic recommendations for holistic transformation approaches to sustainability in higher education institutions

Sustainable development, and the process of institutional transformation this requires, remains a considerable challenge for universities. Worldwide, only a few universities are to date confronting these challenges. Through its initiatives “Agenda 21 and the University of Lüneburg” (1999-2001) and “Sustainable University – Sustainable Development in the Context of University Remits” (2004-2007), as well as through the UNESCO Chair of Higher Education for Sustainable Development, the University of Lüneburg has been among the first European universities to view the institution as a whole and to attempt to initiate processes in all working areas which point the way towards the integration of sustainability into each of the different areas in which it is active.Peer Reviewe

Assoziation, Erwartungen und Barrieren eines Exoskeletteinsatzes in kleinen mittelständischen Unternehmen

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Arbeitsbedingte Muskel-Skelett-Erkrankungen (MSE) führen in der herstellenden Industrie zu Krankheitstagen und haben erhebliche wirtschaftliche Folgen für die Unternehmen und die Volkswirtschaft. Exoskelette können den Körper im Umgang mit schwerer Last oder in Zwangshaltungen unterstützen. Besonders in großen Unternehmen der Automobilindustrie werden Exoskelette pilotiert. In kleinen und mittelständischen Unternehmen (KMU) werden Exoskelette bisher jedoch wenig eingesetzt, und ihre Anwendung dort wurde wissenschaftlich bisher kaum untersucht. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die Barrieren der Exoskelett-Implementierung und die Erwartungen an deren Einsatz im produzierenden Gewerbe zu ermitteln. Methode In sechs produzierenden Unternehmen wurden teilstrukturierte Leitfadeninterviews durchgeführt und analysiert. Ergebnisse In den Unternehmen werden vielfältige Tätigkeiten bis an die Belastungsgrenze ausgeführt. Allgemein erwartet man durch die Anwendung von Exoskeletten Arbeitserleichterungen sowie wirtschaftliche Vorteile. Bedenken bestehen hinsichtlich des Einsatzes aufgrund des Kostenfaktors, eines ungewissen Nutzens und mangelnden Tragekomforts. Insbesondere werden mangelnde Kenntnisse über den Effekt eines Exoskeletts deutlich. Fazit Die vorgestellten Interviewergebnisse sind ein Schritt im interdisziplinären Prozess der Weiterentwicklung und Implementierung von Exoskeletten in der herstellenden Industrie. Bedenken und Unwissenheit potenzieller Unternehmen und Anwender müssen adressiert werden, auch um eine hohe Nutzerakzeptanz zu schaffen. Folgestudien, die die Ermittlung des Bedarfs mit einer besseren Trennschärfe erheben, könnten weitere Erkenntnisse liefern. </jats:sec