On October 19, as part of the CESAER Annual Meetings (CAM), the conference titled “Contributions of Universities of Science and Technology (S&T) to Sustainability” brought together over 100 influential figures from 58 Member universities in Europe, including Vice-Rector Serhii Sydorenko from the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI). Hosted by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), the high-level conference commenced with a series of inspiring keynote speeches including a written address by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres.
The launch of the white paper ‘Leading by example: Boosting sustainability through good governance adopted by universities of S&T’ was a pivotal moment, aiming to motivate universities and their leaders to catalyze transformative changes and assume their roles as active contributors to societal progress.
One of the most noteworthy moments of the conference was the announcement of the winner of the Student Challenge 2023, which highlighted the significant role of young innovators in addressing sustainability challenges. The winning project, “MIDAS,” from KU Leuven proposes an innovative approach to vaccination, demonstrating a remarkable potential for positive global healthcare impact. The runner-up project, “Unbound Potential,” from ETH Zürich showcased a pioneering solution for efficient energy storage, promising to advance sustainable energy utilization.
Notably, other commendable projects, including “PECHERA” led by KPI bachelor student Olha Tytarenko, were presented during the conference, underscoring the collective dedication of the participating students in contributing to sustainability through scientific and technological innovation.
CESAER, the international association of specialized and comprehensive universities, continues to foster collaboration among leading science and technology universities, encouraging impactful contributions to global sustainability efforts.
This collective commitment of CESAER and its members underscores their dedication to fostering knowledge societies for a sustainable future and fostering substantial scientific, economic, social, and societal impacts.