Launching SDSN’s next European network: SDSN Belgium
On 29 November, 2018, SDSN launched its latest national network. SDSN Belgium was officially presented at the Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Conference (G-STIC) in Brussels. The new national network joins 30 existing national and regional networks that are localizing the SDGs in their relative context, educating and engaging their students and the general public on sustainable development, working with governments on SDG achievement, and offering innovative solutions for the SDGs.
Prof. Dr. Silvia Lenaerts, Vicerrector Valorisation and Development of the University of Antwerp, and Chair of SDSN Belgium, at her keynote address on sustainability at the University of Antwerp.
In its first year, the University of Antwerp will take the lead in coordinating SDSN Belgium’s activities with its academic partners. Other partners are the Flanders Institute for Technology Research (VITO), the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), KULeuven, the Antwerp Management School, the Interuniversity Institute for Education Law (ICOR), and CIFAL Flanders (the UNITAR affiliated International Training Centre on Sustainability for Authorities and Leaders).
In addition to education for sustainable development and the translation of the SDGs into organizational processes of authorities and businesses, SDSN Belgium’s thematic priorities are interdisciplinary: sustainable chemistry, climate action, and sustainable energy.
Benefitting from the highly specialized and international audience present at the G-STIC, keynote speakers at the launch of SDSN Belgium showcased good practices in higher education in the country with regards to sustainable development.
The launch concluded with the signing of a Letter of Intent by the attending high-level representatives of the network’s partners.
SDSN partners signing the letter of intent: From left to right: Ben Majchrowicz, CIFAL Flanders; Prof. Dr. Gerard Govers, KULeuven; Vice-Rector Science, Engineering and Technology, Prof. Jan De Groof, Director of the Interuniversity Institute for Education Law (ICOR); Dr. Dirk Fransaer, CEO of the Flanders Institute for Technology Research (VITO).
