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Green Belgium Day in Paderborn: For a sustainable future in the campus forest!
On June 30, 2025, the University of Paderborn celebrated the ninth Belgium Day with a focus on “Wallonia” and supports the “Campus Forest” project.
Green Belgium Day in Paderborn: For a sustainable future in the campus forest!
The ninth Belgium Day took place on June 30, 2025 at the University of Paderborn. The event, under the motto “Wallonia in Focus – Green Mobility on Water and on Land”, focused on sustainable mobility and renewable energies in Wallonia. The event spanned both the campus and the city center of Paderborn and offered a varied program.
Particularly noteworthy is the discussion panel led by Prof. Dr. Sabine Schmitz and Prof. Christoph Ehland moderated the event. High-ranking guests such as H.E. Ambassador Piet Heirbaut and Bart Brosius, General Delegate of Flanders, were present and shared their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of sustainable mobility in the region. Professor Dr. René Fahr, Vice President of the University of Paderborn, and business representatives from Wallonia complemented this discussion with their experiences.
Support for the campus forest
As part of Belgium Day, the Belgium Center (BELZ) organized a raffle to benefit the “Campus Forest” project. All proceeds from this raffle were donated to the project, which makes an important contribution to forest care. Prof. Dr. Sabine Schmitz, chairwoman of the BELZ, expressed the hope that such fundraising campaigns will continue to take place in the future.
The “Campus Forest” is a sustainable project at the University of Paderborn that covers an area of six hectares and includes around 25,000 trees. It is coordinated by the company and student health management and offers Paderborn citizens recreational opportunities in the Haxtergrund local recreation area. The project's partners include the city of Paderborn and the Willebadessen Community Forestry Association.
- Regelmäßige Waldpflege ist notwendig, da der Großteil der Bäume bereits gepflanzt wurde.
- Zukünftige Pläne sehen die Einrichtung eines „Grünen Klassenzimmers“ vor, das für die universitäre Lehre genutzt werden soll.
- Zusätzlich sind Entspannungs- und Aktivitätsmöglichkeiten im „Campuswald“ geplant.
Various program items and culinary highlights
The afternoon program offered a variety of other highlights. This included the play “Kinky Birds” by Elsa Poisot, performed by a student theater group, as well as a discussion session in which students and speakers discussed green tourism and sustainable mobility. A panel discussion at the Theodorianum high school, in which experts had their say, also rounded off the program.
At the opening of the event, the school rock band “Flames” provided musical entertainment, while an information mobile from Wallonie-Bruxelles International and VisitWallonia was present in the pedestrian zone. The culinary focus was also on Belgian specialties: the participants enjoyed Belgian Stoemp, bratwurst and black beer sauce during the culinary break.
Belgium Day was rounded off with a closing event in the university's vaulted cellar, where beer sommelier Silvio Reiß gave the guests an introduction to Belgian beer culture. This varied day impressively demonstrated the University of Paderborn's commitment to sustainable projects and the promotion of Belgian culture and gastronomy.