Sustainability

Vision. Mission

Foundation in institutional strategy documents

• Strategic institutional development plan of the Western University of Timișoara 2016-2020, Annex 1 – Performance criteria and indicators, IP5 – Sustainability and institutional capacity - Realization of new investments in educational and research infrastructure - "Construction and endowment of the Institute for Advanced Research environment";
• Charter of the Western University of Timișoara 2016, 2019
  • 3 "The mission and strategic objectives of UVT", Art. 7 - objectives - "sustainable development of UVT in its entirety and of all its organizational components";
• Managerial program to support the candidacy for the position of rector of the Western University of Timișoara - prof. univ. Dr. Marilen Gabriel Pirtea, 2019, page 21 "UVT – a green, inclusive and accessible university"
  • eliminating the use of plastic products or other potentially polluting materials at events held in UVT (for example cutlery, crockery);
  • infrastructure development for green energy production in UVT premises (for example, mounting solar panels on UVT buildings);
  • organization of environmental responsibility awareness events for students and teaching staff;
  • the implementation of measures for efficient use of resources;
  • the establishment of a Sustainability Center in UVT (with education, research and consultancy activities in fields such as economy and environment, with an impact on society);
  • the development of study programs or disciplines in the field of Education for Sustainable Development and the training of students, teaching staff and UVT staff in this spirit (including the development of programs specifically dedicated to pre-university teaching staff).

Institutional sustainability goals

• UVT's membership in the "Green Universities Network(s)", as defined by the UNEP Environmental Education and Training Unit (EETU);
• Increasing UVT's notoriety as a "university of choice", integrating green concepts into internal processes;
• Increasing UVT's notoriety as an "employer of choice", integrating concepts of "green jobs";
• Development of green physical and educational infrastructure;
• Active involvement of UVT in regional sustainability awareness campaigns, including by identifying "green ambassadors" among UVT students and employees.

accomplishment
Actions implemented

Within UVT, various projects, sustainable ideas have been implemented until now. We list some of them below:

1. Use of energy efficient appliances:
   1. Replacing neon / light bulbs with LED lighting fixtures - The light reaches maximum intensity instantly, without a warm-up time and is pleasing to the eye, the bulbs do not heat up, they do not contain mercury, and energy consumption is significantly reduced. The old lighting fixtures have been replaced in all UVT dormitories and the replacement of all fixtures in the educational spaces is to follow;
   2. Installation of CTA for most amphitheaters – intelligent, energy-efficient centralized system that filters and refreshes the air inside the amphitheatres;
2. Sanitation / recycling
   1. Pilot recycling projects:
      1. The jar of oil – a project through which the used oil from the common kitchens of the UVT dormitories is collected and properly reused;
      2. The paper tree – project by which special boxes for paper recycling were installed in 2 buildings (FEAA + UVT headquarters). Through this project, UVT participated in various projects as a partner, tree planting, etc. We propose that in the future this project will be implemented in all UVT buildings;
      3. Used toners - in each building, all the used toners from the administrative offices are collected and based on an order, they are picked up by our partner.
      4. Selective sorting of waste:
         1. Garbage baskets / bins - housekeeper;
         2. Trash cans / bins - paper / cardboard;
         3. Garbage bins / bins – WEEE;
         4. Trash cans / bins – Batteries;
         5. Trash cans / bins – Lighting fixtures / bulbs;

3. Water dispensers for teaching staff, auxiliary staff and students in all UVT buildings.

• Water filter devices were installed in each building so that each member of the UVT community, respectively visitor, can use their own container to drink water.

4. Bicycle racks

• Bike racks are placed near most UVT buildings, in order to promote alternative transport.

5. Rakes / place to rent scooters (UVT - headquarters)
6. Gardens / relaxation area for staff and students (UVT – headquarters: interior gardens)
7. Development of the Institute for Advanced Environmental Research;
8. The use of recycled paper in Printing and the purchase, with priority, of recycled paper through projects;
9. The implementation of the Connecting Nature project, financed through Horizon 2020, in which UVT contributes, together with other European partners, to the implementation of nature-based solutions in the development of the urban landscape, namely the development of a network of partners that provide green, nature-based solutions;
10. Ecovital UVT – a project of the West University of Timișoara that encourages pupils and students to train sustainable thinking;
11. Green UVT – informal working group formed at the level of the West University of Timișoara for the generation of ideas and the implementation of green initiatives in UVT;
12. Participation in UI GreenMetric World University Rankings;
13. Business financing with a green component through the 5 Romania Start-Up Plus programs implemented at the West University in Timișoara. Of the more than 200 entrepreneurs financed at the UVT level, at least 50 develop businesses that integrate sustainable development concepts and the promotion of an economy based on low CO2 emissions in their current activity.

Actions started, being implemented

1. Implementation of a circuit of UVT documents through a digital system with the aim of reducing paper consumption;
2. Implementation of a utility consumption monitoring system
3. Switching to medium voltage in UVT buildings from low voltage;
4. The development of dedicated places for charging means of transport based on electric motors;
5. Installation of photovoltaic panels on UVT buildings;
6. Planting of fruit trees on the lands belonging to the UVT (including around the dormitories) given in the care of student groups to increase cohesion between them and confer a social responsibility. The fruits will be available to students and passers-by (on the model of the trees planted many years ago around the Physics laboratories behind the Rose Park);
7. Green UVT sustainability center (headquarters within the FEAA, Pestalozzi street no. 16, room P06):
   • The main activities that will take place within the center:
     • Initiating courses and workshops on sustainability topics using the information on the platform developed for this purpose. These are addressed, mainly, to teachers and students from the pre-university environment for awareness of the dimensions and complexity of sustainable devotion;
     • Providing consultancy on methods of teaching sustainable development subjects;
     • Initiating pilot programs regarding the formulation and implementation of institutional and local public policies based on research and scientific arguments;
     • The development of multidisciplinary studies in the field of sustainability that will be made available to society;
     • Initiating, respectively participating in projects of multidisciplinary scope that circumscribe the idea of ​​sustainable development;
   • Educational activities:
     • "train the trainer" type activities dedicated to university and pre-university teaching staff for the acquisition of teaching methods in order to apply the requirements of sustainable development;
     • organizing courses on the e-learning platform of the Sustainability Center;
     • counseling for teaching staff in order to apply methods specific to sustainable development: gamification, problem based learning, simulations, drama, on-site experiences, story telling in sustainability, etc.
     • improving the university curriculum by including sustainability subjects;
     • the organization of postgraduate courses on the theme of sustainable development;
     • collaboration with high schools for the organization of activities and contests for students on sustainability topics;
     • organizing joint activities on sustainable development themes with student NGOs dedicated to students;
     • fulfilling the role of depository of open educational resources on sustainable development;
     • organizing workshops to promote the principles of sustainability;
   • Research-related activities
     • identifying and attracting multi- and transdisciplinary sustainability projects with various funding sources (collaborative approach);
     • the organization of a laboratory of economic and behavioral experiments in the economic and social field for academic purposes or at the request of the business environment and local public institutions;
     • the development of multidisciplinary articles in the field of sustainable development;
   • The transfer of good practices to society
     • organizing events within the green UVT to raise awareness of public opinion regarding sustainable development;
     • creating open educational resources (educational videos, infographics, etc.) for awareness, education and information.
   • Profitable activities
     • providing consultancy to the business environment on sustainable development and sustainability audit;
     • the organization of a united behavioral insight team/nudge in the economic, social and environmental fields that supports the promotion of policies in the field of sustainable development;
     • organizing workshops on sustainability topics in collaboration with relevant NGOs.
   • Link to the e-learning platform http://teachsus.projects.uvt.ro/
   • Project website link: https://www.teachsus.eu/
   • On the FEAA website, the sustainability center: https://feaa.uvt.ro/ro/extracurriculare/centrul-de-sustenabilitate-green-uvt

Development directions

Development of organizational culture regarding sustainability

It is desired to develop an institutional communication on the theme of sustainability, with the inclusion of values, mission and vision related to sustainable development and sustainability in the institutional strategy documents.