The Sustainability Centres Project and Network

Citation

(2000), "The Sustainability Centres Project and Network", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 1 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe.2000.24901bab.001

The Sustainability Centres Project and Network

The Sustainability Centres Project and Network

Keywords: Knowledge management, Sustainable development

A new project will try to promote a set of sustainability centres as centres for knowledge of sustainable development in Europe. The project, titled "Sustainability Centres in the North Sea Region" (SCNSR) is a multi-national initiative by knowledge centres in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands and Sweden. It also involves centres in Denmark and Norway. The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Norway through the Interreg IIC North SeaProgramme.

Under the project, common indicators and criteria in spatial planning and the development of the built environment will be developed. The project is expected to contribute in pragmatic and practical ways to the development of new areas of professional expertise in environmentally responsible spatial planning and new skills in communication technologies. In 2000-2001 the project is expected to contribute to identify other projects that will put theoretical concepts into practice. This will result from an integrated approach involving local government authorities, funding agencies, planners, universities, NGO's, private enterprise and other stakeholders in the sustainable development scene.

As one of the target audiences of the SCNSR project, universities and colleges are seen as important components of the sustainability formula. As such, the "Sustainability Centres Universities Network" intends to focus on the specific information requirements and needs of the university sector. The Sustainability Centres Universities Network will strive to cooperate with other projects and networks, so that its members may be able to be fully informed and kept up to date on the latest developments in this exciting and ever-evolving field.

Membership to the Sustainability Centres Universities Network costs Euros100, DM200, GBP70, US$110 per year and is open to higher education institutions from across Europe. A similar network of universities concerned with sustainability in the USA and Canada is being facilitated by ULSF. If you represent a Canadian or US-based college or university and wish to join this network, contact Wynn Calder at ulsf@aol.com; Tel: +1-202-778-6133. Address: ULSF, 2100 L St, NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC 20037, USA. If you represent a higher education institution from Europe, Oceania, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia or Africa, please get in touch with the network office in Hamburg.

For further information on the project and the network, please visit the project's Website at: http://www.umweltprogramme.de/sustainabilitycentres