About
This is a platform by and for the sustainability professionals community with two main goals in mind.
- To enhance connections within the community through knowledge and experience exchange.
The idea originated from the network of the Erasmus Mundus Master of Industrial Ecology program (MIND) which ran from 2010 to 2017. The consortium consists of University of Graz (Austria) (co-ordinator), Leiden University (Netherlands), Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden), Delft University (Netherlands), Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand), Rochester Institute of Technology (USA), and Waseda University (Japan). Through this two-year-long Master’s program, 80 students came together from different parts of the globe for a life-changing journey and formed a strong community. Such a community is neither exclusive nor confined to a static boundary, instead it has been growing through new connections with the broader scope of sustainability field ranging from business, design, policy, engineering, social sciences etc.
Though this phase of the Erasmus Mundus program has come to an end, alumni of this growing community are now dispersed across continents doing their parts in the grand movement towards sustainable development goals. This site was thus made in effort to virtually support this dynamic and increasingly diverse community, keeping the connections alive and providing opportunities for synergies and continued growth.
“Insights” and “Stories of Professional Hippies” are dedicated for members to share knowledge and experience gained from their work, as researchers, consultants, activists, businessmen/women, scientists…
- To give sustainability more relevance.
Our world is already suffering from environmental issues related injustice (climate change is just the most high profile example), however the sustainability professionals’ efforts are not as present as needed in the mass media. It could be due to the complexity of the topic and the communications barriers that even often keep scientists from understanding each other, let alone making it appealing to the public.
But does it have to be this way? How can we be better heard?
Story telling is key and its power is becoming more and more recognised across industries. Charity campaigns are switching from presenting large data of impact to telling touching stories about individuals as they are much more relatable to the public. The goal is to make the information more relatable, inspirational and actionable.
“Sustainable Brands” targets especially the private sector and often in joint effort with the organisation “Sustainable Brands” based in San Francisco.
“Circular China” was born out of interest of yours truly who works mostly from China and on the topic of circular economy.
More categories to meet the emerging interests of the community TBD.
