‘The aim is to showcase, in the broadest sense, what our students are working on across all aspects of sustainability,’ says Efia Addo of organiser Green Hub Twente. The event brought together the full spectrum of student research, she explains. ‘From bachelor’s students to postdoctoral researchers. And not just from UT, but also from other Dutch universities, as well as participants in Australia and Pakistan.’
The concept was borrowed from similar initiatives at other universities, where Student Sustainability Research Conferences have grown to attract hundreds of participants. For this first Twente edition, several dozen attendees made their way to Connect-U, Saxion University of Applied Sciences’ city campus in central Enschede. ‘We would have preferred a venue on the UT campus, but there simply wasn’t any space available. Education understandably takes priority’, says Addo.
From sustainable jeans to plastic in rivers
What would a conference be without papers, posters and PowerPoint presentations? All the familiar ingredients were there. For seasoned conferencegoers, much of it would have felt instantly recognisable: the occasional technical hiccup, a participant nodding off, or someone scrolling through Instagram. At the same time, there were enthusiastic attendees eager to challenge speakers with critical questions after every presentation. Not to mention the occasional presenter getting lost in detail, or the colourful collection of unreadable diagrams projected onto presentation slides.
More importantly, the event achieved its main objective: highlighting the breadth of sustainability research. Students, and particularly many PhD candidates, presented their work on topics ranging from recycling car tyres and creating more sustainable jeans to climate resilience in Somalia and the movement of plastics and fish through waterways.
Interconnectedness
Ultimately, sustainability is about interconnectedness, according to Charlynne Jepkosgei, a PhD candidate at ITC, who emphasised this point in her opening remarks. ‘Issues such as climate change and food security are never about a single problem, a single idea, or a single individual. So today, be curious, open-minded, and courageous. You can only flourish with the help of others.’
Organiser Efia Addo is already looking ahead to the next edition. ‘Hopefully on campus, and with members of senior management in attendance as well. We want everyone to see what we’re working on.’
