Sustainability
The AUAS designated sustainability as an important theme for the entire organisation at the end of 2018. This implies greater focus on sustainability in education and research as well as business operations and behaviour. This has been converted into ambitions and promises in the 2021-2026 Strategic Plan.
Sustainable, Digital and Diverse & Inclusive
In its Strategic Plan for 2021-2026, the AUAS has chosen three courses of action: Sustainability, Diversity and Digitalisation. These will be the main axes for the further development of research and education. A Professor of Practice has been appointed for each course of action.
For Sustainability this is economist Kate Raworth. She is leading a project to shape the Sustainable Development Goals in Amsterdam together with the AUAS. She is also a strategic advisor to the Centre for Economic Transformation and her work is central to the Amsterdam Donut Coalition.
The AUAS not only focuses on the ecological side of sustainability but also recognises the social character. After all, a sustainable future is about people as well as the planet. Diversity, inclusion and social justice themes are therefore inextricably linked to sustainability. There are various social networks within the AUAS that are committed to a diverse and inclusive university of applied sciences, such as Debatcentrum FLOOR, Diversity Hub, HvA Pride, Limitless and SeSi Community Center.
The AUAS trainee programme was developed to stimulate the achievement of our goals in the field of diversity and inclusion. In addition, the Gender Equality Plan describes what the AUAS is doing to promote gender equality.
Here are some of our sustainability ambitions:
- it is natural for us to work in a diverse and inclusive environment where our actions and choices are as sustainable as possible and digitally innovative.
- every student learns to recognise and use sustainability, diversity & inclusion and digitalisation as automatic and important elements of their profession and of contemporary citizenship.
- the '3 Ds' are prominently visible and tangible in everything we do in the AUAS community.