Cooperations and networks
Universities and other academic institutions, and in particular their academic staff, are currently in (strong) competition with each other. This initial situation can hinder efforts to contribute to the transformation towards sustainability. Coordinated cross-university collaborations and networks, which can be open to other research institutions, can pool resources and create synergies in order to jointly address the challenges of the 21st century.
Aurora European Universities Alliance brings together leading European universities that are characterised by their focus on social responsibility and sustainability. As part of this cooperation, the University of Innsbruck works on innovative teaching and research projects that promote social inclusion, cultural diversity and ecological awareness. Students and staff benefit, among other things, from a diverse range of courses and mobility programmes that enable them to gain experience abroad and intercultural skills.
Through these diverse collaborations in the area of sustainability, the University of Innsbruck strengthens its position as a pioneer for sustainable development and promotes the exchange of knowledge and resources on a national and international level.
The Alliance of Sustainable Universities in Austria is an association of 21 universities that have committed themselves to the goal of systematically anchoring sustainability in research, teaching and operations. The University of Innsbruck uses this platform to exchange best practices, develop joint projects and provide impetus for sustainable university policy. For example, representatives of the University of Innsbruck take part in the regular expert meetings and exchange ideas with colleagues from other universities in various working groups of the network (e.g. on education for sustainable development, sustainable mobility or sustainability reporting).
With the vision "Climate research for a sustainable future", Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA) acts as a platform for climate research in Austria. It supports the networking of scientists, promotes the transfer of knowledge and strengthens the role of science in the political decision-making process. The University of Innsbruck contributes to this through its expertise in climate modelling, extreme event research and climate adaptation, among other things.
The project UniNEt- Universities and Sustainable Development Goals brings together the expertise of a total of 23 Austrian universities and other non-university partner institutions to promote the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda
With regard to universities, UniNEtZ has developed a policy statement on the transformation of universities as an impetus for further discussions, which, among other things, calls for the transformation process of universities towards sustainability to be considered on an overall institutional level and for the uniko Manifesto for Sustainability to be implemented.
Employees of the University of Innsbruck have been intensively involved in the activities of UniNEtZ in both project phases (2019-2021 and 2022-2024).
The University of Innsbruck is a partner and part of BiNE network (Education for Sustainable Development) Tyrol. The aim of this association of 35 institutions and the strategic management by the state of Tyrol, the University of Innsbruck, the University College of Teacher Education Tyrol, the Edith Stein University College of Teacher Education and the Tyrolean Directorate of Education is to support educational institutions with regard to knowledge transfer on sustainability and climate change, as well as to contribute to the quality development of educational processes in line with the guiding principle of sustainable development and thus to assume joint responsibility for ensuring the long-term ecological viability, social justice and economic performance of society and the planet.
