Leiden University keeps fifth place in SustainaBul list
In SustainaBul, 16 higher education institutions are ranked on sustainability each year. Leiden University has managed to keep its fifth place. A good position, but with room for improvement.
Studenten voor Morgen, the national student network for sustainability in Dutch higher education, has carried out its seventh SustainaBul ranking. This looks not only at the sustainability of the institution’s organisational management but also at how integrated sustainability is in its teaching and research.
Sustainable research
Sixteen institutions were ranked this year. Wageningen University came out top, having earned 292 of the maximum 300 points. Leiden University earned 244 points, thus ending up in fifth place, just like last year. Leiden does well in the area of teaching, earning maximum points in this category. Sustainability themes such as the circular economy, industrial ecology and biodiversity and sustainability play an important role in the research at Leiden University.
Integral part of the curriculum
The ranking gives some pointers for improvement. For instance, the topic of sustainability could become a more integral part of the curriculum. At present, the emphasis on sustainability is in individual courses, MOOC development, internships and graduation projects. In the organisational management, there could be more emphasis on sustainable investments (for instance, via the ABP pension fund) and developing a long-term vision of sustainable organisational management.