Transforming our universities into sustainable development labs opened to the world

IAU Horizons, the Association's news and information magazine is addressed primarily to IAU Member Institutions and Organizations, but is also sent to a selected audience beyond the IAU Membership such as Ministries of Higher Education, international organizations, national and regional associations of universities and others.
Transforming our universities into sustainable development labs opened to the world (IAU Horizons Volume 18, No.2)
By Alain Webster, Vice-President, Sustainable development and government relations and Véronique Bisaillon, Educational consultant – Sustainable development, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada. In our universities, any global sustainable development strategy should be woven into teaching, research and management activities altogether. In fact, universities are poised to become efficient sustainable development labs, locally committed and set to address global issues. This has always been Université de Sherbrooke’s approach, with results that extend far beyond its three campuses. A common challenge Since the beginning of its sustainable development efforts, in 2004, Université de Sherbrooke always endeavoured to closely interact with civic partners. This approach allowed for the enactment of sustainable development policies by major Sherbrooke stakeholders, including City, health and teaching institutions. Université de Sherbrooke’s sustainable mobility strategy, including the renowned Open Access to Public Transit Programme for students, well illustrates the relevance of this cooperative approach. Created in close collaboration with City transit officials and student associations, the success of the programme – and of the whole strategy – is measured by the lowering of GhG emissions, a diminution of parking space, the creation of similar programmes by many other institutions, and the fact that sustainable mobility has become a major stake in the City’s development! Building upon its success, Université de Sherbrooke managed to eliminate 200 parking spaces to replace them with an attractive and very central green space dubbed Coeur campus (the heart of the Campus), which also acts as a rainwater purifier system. The strategy also made it possible for a student coop to build a university residence downtown Sherbrooke, very close to the city’s main bus terminal, in an effort to promote Transit Oriented Development (TOD). What’s more, by advocating the use of eco-efficient vehicles, this sustainable mobility strategy plays a part in teaching and research activities in the fields of biofuels and electricity-based transports. Read more in IAU Horizons Volume 18, No.2.