Dear Academics, Students and Young Researchers,
We invite you to participate in the “Youth Forum for Action on Sustainability and Climate Change”, an in-person event organized by the European Reform University Alliance (ERUA). ERUA is a consortium of eight European reform universities committed to exploring innovative approaches in research, teaching, and institutional advancement. As part of the European Universities Initiative (EUI), one of the key initiatives of the European Commission, ERUA aims to advance the development of a European Education Area and the implementation of the European Strategy for Universities. Among our fields of action we include: sustainability, migration, exile & refugees, democracy and human rights, inclusion or gender equality.
Specifically this Forum is led by ERUA’s Blue Commission, a group of students from eight institutions with experience and expertise in the field of sustainability and climate action. Together, we have launched this forum that aims to foster debate on this topic and improve the sustainability actions and policies within ERUA.
The event will take place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 20th and 21st, 2025.
“Youth Forum for Action on Sustainability and Climate Change” is the conclusion forum of a series of open hybrid discussions hosted by ERUA institutions over the last months, aimed to bring together young researchers and students to engage in constructive dialogue on critical issues related to sustainability and climate change.
Following the lectures (full list of topics you can find here), we are launching a call to look for contributors and participants willing to take part in the in-person forum in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on May 20th and 21st 2025. The forum will be the final step for the ERUA Young Forum for Action on Sustainability and Climate Change, with the objective to draft a recommendation paper that will be officially presented to the rectors of all our institutions.
The Recommendations will be the first step towards the introduction of new policies and measures regarding sustainability practices in the different universities. By doing this, ERUA institutions will commit to create new sustainable projects and improve their approach towards sustainability issues.
WHO CAN APPLY?
You can apply for two modalities of sessions depending on your position and interest:
- Conferences/Round Table:
Applicants: Experienced academics or young researchers (PhD students that have finished their PhD in the last 3-5 years) in any field related to sustainability.
Format: A lecture of approximately 45 min in which you will present one of the undermentioned topics. After that, a 15 min long debate with the public will begin. Later on, you may be asked to join a round table to discuss this same issue.
Required documents: CV, proposal for a lecture or round table participation.
- Paper Presentations or Workshops:
Applicants: Young researchers (PhD students that have finished their PhD in the last 3-5 years), PhD students, MA and BA students. We strongly suggest creating interactive workshops.
Format: Two rooms with workshops and paper presentations simultaneously. They should last around 45 min. We encourage interactive sessions which lead to a strong involvement from the participants.
Required documents: CV, proposal of a workshop or paper presentation
Presentations should be in Spanish or English. Translation will be provided to ensure efficient communication.
The final list of selected applicants will be announced in the first half of April 2025.
ADDRESSED TOPICS
The list of topics includes but is not limited to:
- Energy consumption, transportation and use of renewables
- Climate change impacts on local communities, sustainable practices in urban environments and community resilience building initiatives
- Biodiversity conservation efforts
- Deal with greenhouse effect and carbon sinks
- Climate justice and equity considerations (including strategies for vulnerable regions, policy advocacy and climate action campaigns)
- Sustainable agriculture and food security
- Sustainable tourism
- Biomimicry and biomimetics
- SDG’s
- Environmental determinism
- Environmental education
- Sustainable consumption and fashion
- Greenwashing
Selection Criteria:
Your application will be evaluated based on:
- Assessment of CV,
- Variety of institutions represented.
- Variety of fields of expertise.
- Overall interest in the proposal.
- Alignment with ERUA topics and SDGs.
- Interdisciplinary approach.
- Organizational matters.
The selection committee will include at least, one student from each ERUA members in the Blue Commission, together with one or two academics, experts in the field. For more details, you may contact the respective person in your institution (see below).
Deadline for submission of your application – 31st of March 2025.
Confirmation of the selected participants – until 21st of April 2025.
Deadline to provide the final slides of the presentation – 7th of May 2025
If you are interested in participation, please complete the expression of interest form by March 31st, 2025, at the registration link.
CONTACTS
For any questions, you may contact these representatives of the ERUA Blue Commission:
MRU: Yuliana Shuhani yushuhani@stud.mruni.eu
EUV: Sedat Yildirim euv232352@europa-uni.de
UNIMC: Sami Ghanmi s.ghanmi@unimc.it
UP8: Clara Barth clara.barth2@gmail.com
UAEGEAN: Kyriaki Vasileiou kyriaki.vasileiou1@gmail.com
SWPS: Julia Marczak jmarczak4@st.swps.edu.pl
NBU: Pamela Kostadinova: pamelastoqnova@abv.bg
General and ULPGC: Samuel Taviro Rodríguez-Brusco: samuel.taviro101@alu.ulpgc.es
Conditions: ERUA members can receive financial support for travel and accommodation. Please contact your respective local contact person to find out more about opportunities to fund your participation.
- ULPGC: Lucas Pérez (lucas.perez@ulpgc.es)
- UP8: Anaëlle Jamard-Moreau: anaelle.jamard–moreau@univ-paris8.fr
- EUV: Maria Ullrich marullrich@europa-uni.de
- UAEGEAN: Michael Bakas mbakas@aegean.gr / Katia Larisaiou klarisaiou@aegean.gr
- MRU: Karina Tamašauskaitė k.tamasauskaite@mruni.eu
- SWPS: Filip Cyuńczyk fcyunczyk@swps.edu.pl
- UNIMC: Jessica Pennesi j.pennesi@unimc.it
- NBU: assist. Prof. Mina Karpuzova markova.mina@gmail.com / Hristiyana Stoimenova ch.stoimenova@gmail.com / Eleonora Alexandrova ealexandrova@nbu.bg
