RCE Graz-Styria Celebrates Ten Years

Ten years ago, RCE Graz-Styria was officially established. Since 2007 and closely linked with the idea of sustainability at the University of Graz, the RCE has repeatedly shown strong research expertise in internationally oriented projects. During the ten year ceremony at the same university, this first “big” birthday was given due applause. The Rector, Mrs. Christa Neuper, in her introductory speech, referred to the importance of the university’s impact: “As a university, we have an important social mission to share the knowledge generated here with others, including the community in the region.”

Helga Kromp-Kolb, Head of the Centre for Global Change and Sustainability at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, also attended the event. Other guests included Hermann Becke, Chairman of SEKEM Austria, Evi Frei, Undersecretary at the Federal Ministry for Science, Research and Economy, and Barbara Gasteiger-Klicpera, Dean of the Department for Life, Regional and Educational Sciences (URBI).

Friedrich Zimmermann, Head of the RCE Graz-Styria, held the commemorative speech, while the Superar Children’s Choir provided the musical background. Superar is a musical programme for children that have little or no access to cultural education. The mayor’s office, a longtime partner of the RCE Graz-Styria, generously supported the event.

A sustainability fair and World Cafe ‘Treading Alternative Paths Together’, organized by RCE Graz-Styria and its partners, followed the RCE celebration. Participants had lively exchanges and learned about different topics of sustainability, for example, the turning of deserts into oases of sustainability, how to make a toolkit for effortlessly creating city labs and art in the city, how to create organic wine, and many more. Below is a list of the different sessions/booths during the fair.

1. SmarterLabs for fair and effective participation in the city: a project of the RCE Graz-Styria and the City of Graz
2. Biowein (biological wine): create a brand in the nature reserve Southern Styria
3. Oikos Graz: How sustainable are you?
4. Experience geography, explore Europe:  European Geography Association for Students and Young Geographers
5. SEKEM – 40 years of sustainable development
6. Build your lab in one day – a toolkit for effortlessly creating a city lab: the EU project URB@Exp - Learning from urban experiments with living labs & city labs
7. The world belongs to the young researchers: Presentation of current master theses from Sustainable Sciences
8. Art – a means away from refuge:  a project of SEKEM Austria and the Free Waldorf School Graz
9. Guidelines for citizen participation of the City of Graz: a governance instrument for more transparency and commitment
10. Knowledge exchange between Albania, Kosovo and the EU:  the ConSus project - Connecting Science-Society Collaborations for Sustainability Innovations
11. Kreidl & Co for more flavour in life: the national park class of the grammar school of Admont Abbey creates sustainable economic cycles
12. Musical meeting by the cross-cultural choir programme SUPERAR

Apart from the poster exhibition, participants could join in activities at the ‘exercise corner’, which spanned the bridge between sustainability and sports. A sustainable ad-lib theatre performance with a competition and a festive buffet rounded off the successful and ceremonial day. Photos of the event and more can be found on RCE Graz-Styria’s facebook page.

For more information, please contact:

Julia Wlasak - julia.wlasak@uni-graz.at   

RCE Graz-Styria - www.rce.uni-graz.at