Sustainability Network of Universities in Lower Saxony (HochNiNa)

The Sustainability Network of Universities in Lower Saxony (HochNiNa) was established in 2018 with the aim of promoting dialogue and cooperation between those responsible for sustainability at universities in Lower Saxony and giving them a common voice in order to expand sustainability at the state's universities.

In addition to operational topics such as energy saving, mobility or waste management, sustainability at universities also includes teaching, research, transfer and cooperation, as well as the structures and processes required for sustainability at a university and reporting.

In order to implement sustainability at universities, various challenges must therefore be identified, goals set and measures implemented, which also require communication, coordination and the involvement of various status groups within and outside the university itself.

Due to their different structures and resources, universities in Lower Saxony have developed very different focal points and approaches to "sustainability and higher education" in recent years. The network aims to benefit from this diversity of expertise and ideas and offer a platform for dialogue on specific issues. It also serves as a source of new inspiration and opportunities to reflect on one's own work.

The network works in several thematic working groups, which are supported by a coordination team. This team currently consists of Anna Krämer (University of Oldenburg), Katalin Kuse (University of Hildesheim) and Marco Lange (University of Göttingen). The last network meeting was held on 17 and 18 April 2024 at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

The participating universities are currently the Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, the Braunschweig University of Art, the Clausthal University of Technology, the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, the Georg-August University of Göttingen, the Leibniz University Hannover, the Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, the University of Hildesheim, the Leuphana University Lüneburg, the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, the Osnabrück University, the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, the University of Vechta and the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences. The network is open to all universities in Lower Saxony.

Contact:

• Anna Krämer, anna.sarah.kraemer@uni-oldenburg.de
• Katalin Kuse, kuse@uni-hildesheim.de
• Marco Lange, marco.lange@zvw.uni-goettingen.de