Global Dialogues: Sustainable Campuses & Communities

Session 1- January 31st at 18:00 (GMT)

Session 2- February 4th at 10:00 (GMT)

Session 3 - February 7th at 18:00 (GMT)

During these three sessions in January and February student organisations from across the world share their experiences in projects promoting sustainability in their community or campus. In each session four student organisations will present their projects followed by a joint discussion on student engagement, creating projects and impact.

Session 1 includes our University of Galway Environmental Awarness and Sustinability Officer:

Malena Thren (Glassary Initiative)

Malena's going to be speaking at Session 1 about the Glassary Inititiave that University of Galway implemented. 

The Glassary initiative works by connecting the campus accommodation centres with bi-annual volunteer donation events to allow students an avenue to avoid landfill and instead give a second life to a wide range of materials. Items are donated to local charities or made available for students. The aim of this project is to provide students with access to a sustainable repository from which to access a range of household items, collected and reused after they are left behind by departing international students, for a circle economy. Student Accommodation and Opportunities for the Circle Economy. Glassary is Irish Language for” Glas” meaning green and a play on the English term glossary meaning list of terms. Glassary is the big green list!

Session 2 includes University of Galway's Energy Society:

The Energy Society (Galway Environmental Festival)

The Galway Environmental Festival put on display local organizations, students, outreach groups, researchers, companies, and communities doing excellent work with renewable energy, climate policy, sustainability, environmental protection, and water and air quality from the University of Galway and Galway City. The event was also promoted as part of the Galway National Park City initiative of which the Energy Society is part of. The aim was to allow for groups to display the work that they have done addressing energy challenges for the general public, to show the public that change and progress are being made, and to inform the public of the issue we still face and what they themselves can do. It is often the case (as we have been told by several environmental activism and advocacy groups) that organizations and researchers are doing a lot of work to address energy problems and derive and implement greener solutions, but that it is difficult to effectively communicate these accomplishments with the public. Multiple groups themselves have asked us to help them broadcast the information regarding their work more effectively. It is also an effect of this situation that the public sometimes feels discouraged and as though nothing is being done. Therefore, having a way to display all of the great work that is being done by energy groups will serve as a way for the groups to share their accomplishments and give the public hope that change is being made.