Happening 'Inspiration festival'

Programma

• 12h30-13h30: Sustainable buffet at resto Coupure with awards for the best sustainability actions and musical entertainment
• 13h30 – 14h30 (NL): How do Ghent University, the faculties and the broader community want to strengthen our sustainability policy? A presentation of where we are and what the plans are.
• 14h30-16h/17h: Parallel session:
  • Science and polarization (until 17h)(NL): The social debate on today's major topics (migration, climate, woke, nature versus agriculture, etc.) is increasingly characterized by strong polarization. Scientists are expected to contribute their knowledge and opinions to these discussions. However, many scientists keep their distance or struggle with the role they want to or can take. How do I effectively bring my expertise to the debate? As a scientist, can I give my opinion, or should I limit myself to the 'facts'? How do I deal with reactions in the (social) media? How do I prevent my position from contributing to additional polarization? What does all this mean for my scientific reputation and that of science in general?

Led by Tomas Baum, we will work on these questions and develop insights and practical tools to deal with polarization. Tomas Baum will introduce the "polarisation thinking model ” and apply it to the field of academics. This model helps to analyze situations of polarization and offers a first step for a strategy to reduce polarization. Target audience: ZAP members and researchers at UGent.

• • Networking session on integrating sustainability in education (until 17h)(NL): This session brings together lecturers, education supporters and students who (want to) integrate sustainable development in their own course(s). A number of current inspiring examples from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and an online learning path 'ABC of sustainability' for students provide a good basis for discussion. Central to this meeting is learning from each other and sharing experiences.
  • Reduce environmental impact in the labs (until 16h)(EN): Experiments were set up in different research groups in an attempt to reduce disposable plastics and the ecological impact of products, reduce volumes, use less reagents and less energy during lab work. Be inspired by the insights of a scientist's expert of My Green Lab, Pieter Nachtegaele, affiliated with the Centre for Sustainable Chemistry and other fellow researchers and lab workers.
  • Performance 'Heel de wereld' (until 16h)(NL): This performance by Steven Vromman and Klarremieke Van Vooren uses stories and music to connect the audience with our relationship with nature and our emotions about what is happening to our planet. With a mix of humor, interaction and emotion, we will explore together the role we have to play today. A transformative experience inspired by Joanna Macy's spiral (Active Hope). Looking with new eyes and full of commitment back on the road.
  • Workshop sustainable and inclusive events (until 16h)(NL): Would you like to organize events that are both sustainable and inclusive? Ghent University offers useful guides for this, and in this workshop we bring the insights together in one practical session. Discover how you, as an organizer within a research group or a student association, can make a difference. We will discuss specific tips and strategies to make your events both sustainable and accessible to all.
  • What could a student-led, interdisciplinary project week on sustainability look like? (until 16h)(EN): As a learning community, we continuously seek to deepen our understanding of today’s pressing environmental challenges. Imagine collaborating with students from diverse disciplines to engage in critical discussions, explore alternative approaches, and consider possible solutions to real-world issues. During this exploratory session, we invite passionate students to help envision an interdisciplinary project week on sustainability, designed for and by students. This promising initiative could be part of new proposals for sustainable education at Ghent University. 
  • Building bee hotels (until 16h)(NL/EN): Make a hive for solitary bees or are you more into butterflies or ladybirds and can earwigs join in too? The Sustainable Student Team of the Bioengineering faculty will get to work with you.

• 16h - 19h30: Ecomarket and en second-hand clothing market 'vinted on campus' (NL/EN)
• 16h30: Snack and drink
• 17h30 – 19h: Leaders debate about a sustainable university (NL, with simultaneous translation):
• What role do we as a university want to take in the socio-ecological transition? How do we deal with the alarm cries from science, but also with the resistance? What position do we take and how can we accelerate and scale up what is already in place? What type of leadership do we need for this? We will debate this with the vice-rector candidates Ansje Uyterhoeven (student), Kris Verheyen (senior academic staff), Riet Van de Velde (sustainability coordinator) and Tomas Baum (director of Kazerne Dossin and specialized in dealing with polarization). Tim Devos will moderate.
• 19h: Snack and drink
• 19h30: Lecture 'Alles wordt anders ... and beter' by Koen Schoors (NL): On average once every seventy years, everything in the world changes. This decade we are at such a tipping point. But fortunately everything will change, that is inevitable and desirable. Koen Schoors sets out his impressive vision of the future. Our economy and energy production will become more regional and sustainable, we will move away from globalization and short-term politics. Our industry will become 100% circular, using all waste as raw material. We will be able to solve the major challenges through a combination of technology and a change in our behavior. So everything will be different, and above all better. A critical reflection follows afterwards.
• 21h: Drink