Regensburg's new field of study: Shaping the future of sustainability!

Regensburg's new field of study: Shaping the future of sustainability!

The University of Regensburg (UR) is setting a strong example for sustainability and is opening a new additional course of study entitled “Shaping Sustainability” on May 14, 2025 at 5 p.m. in the H24 of the Vielberth Building. This course is part of the university's comprehensive sustainability strategy for the years 2023-2027 and is financed using funds from the university contract, as uni-regensburg.de reported.

University President Professor Dr. Udo Hebel emphasizes the importance of the new additional course of study for the implementation of cross-university sustainability goals. The inter- and transdisciplinary program is open to all UR students, regardless of their department. Currently 28 students have already enrolled.

Structure of the course

The “Shaping Sustainability” degree program integrates several modules that address the simultaneous challenges of sustainable transformation. This includes:

• Basismodul „Nachhaltigkeit verstehen“: Untersucht komplexe Fragen zur Nachhaltigkeit.
• Aufbaumodul „Nachhaltigkeit fachlich vertiefen“: Erforschung der Ursachen und Wirkungen nicht nachhaltiger Praktiken.
• Projektmodul „Nachhaltigkeit konkret gestalten“: Entwicklung praktischer Lösungen in Kooperation mit externen Partnern.

The aim of this course of study is to enable students to actively shape key sustainability processes. The idea for the additional course came from the involvement of students in the Sustainability Network and through initiatives such as the Green Office das-wissen.de describes.

Event and lecture

As part of the opening, Professor Dr. Charlotte Streck, founder and managing director of Climate Focus, will give a lecture on international synergies between climate and species protection. This is part of the Regensburg Lecture in Sustainability, a series of events that deals with ecological, social and economic aspects of sustainability. This series is organized by the UR Green Office together with the alumni association roots e.V., as well uni-regensburg.de explained.

In the context of the overarching objectives of the university's sustainability strategies, reference can also be made to the developments at the University of Augsburg. This institution has set itself the goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to climate neutrality by 2028. Initiatives as part of a “green transformation” form the core of these efforts, which aim to comprehensively integrate sustainability into studies, research and campuses, such as uni-augsburg.de represents.

With its additional course “Shaping Sustainability”, the University of Regensburg not only shows a strong commitment to environmental and climate protection, but also contributes to the creation of a sustainable social contract in the 21st century that combines environmental protection, social justice and economic performance.