Since its founding in 2021, the Hebrew University’s Center for Sustainability has been busy as a bee. Taking a three-pronged approach that encompasses research, teaching, and outreach, the Center’s most singular accomplishment has been cross-pollination.
The complexity of environmental challenges requires interdisciplinary solutions. Thanks to the Center for Sustainability, Hebrew University researchers are demonstrating that cross-disciplinary research not only is possible but can be extremely fruitful. To date, the center has issued three/four research calls and is funding 6 projects, many of which you can read about below.
Another interdisciplinary endeavor is the Center’s new undergraduate minor in sustainability, climate, and society, which is open to students from the social sciences, humanities, law, business administration, and social work. Students will develop an awareness and concern for environmental matters, making them environmental stewards as they enter the workforce in their respective fields.
Lastly, the Center has built a number of successful partnerships with various institutions, the municipality, and the EU. Projects range from collecting climatic data from across the city, developing a flood-alert system, a survey to identify optimal rooftops for solar panel installations or rooftop gardens, educational activities with schools, gap year volunteers, and senior citizens, and developing Jerusalem’s geographic information system (GIS).
Grappling with climate change requires us to work together and think creatively. This holds especially true in academia – often the source of much innovation, yet also where most research happens within a single discipline. By building bridges and working together, the Center for Sustainability is actively creating a future that is more sustainable, more collaborative, and thus more beneficial for humankind.
